Nigerian doctors, health workers are poorly paid ― PTF

The Federal Government, through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, admitted on Thursday that Nigerian medical doctors and health workers are poorly paid; and called for improvement.

The Task Force also declared that daily COVID-19 cases in the country now fluctuate within the 500 and 700 brackets, even as it assured that the Federal Government was already working to ensure that Nigeria and African countries are not short-changed when COVID-19 vaccine is finally produced.

Speaking at the briefing of the PTF in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, said the salary of doctors in the country is so poor, compared to other parts of the world, hence, the motivation for Nigerian doctors to go abroad for better offers.

Senator Mamora, who was answering to a question on how the government can prevent Nigerian doctors and health workers from running to the United Kingdom, who has started visa on arrival to medical workers from other countries, said this was not the right time for Nigeria to experience brain drain in its medical doctors and other personnel.

He stated that those in Nigeria were not even enough to cope with the situation at present, therefore, the federal and state government should do everything possible to prevent them from travelling abroad.

The minister called on the state governments to ensure that the employee all their doctors who are looking for employment and also ensure that they are remunerated well.

He stated that the salary and other incentives being paid doctors in Nigeria are very poor, adding that the retirement benefits, death benefits and health insurance were equally poor.

Also, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, while reacting to the issue said, “We must try to see that we keep our own manpower here, provide good salaries and incentives for them, such as health insurance cover.”

Giving an update on COVID-19, Dr Ehanire, said: “The COVID-19 cases recorded daily over the past weeks now fluctuate within the 500 to 700 bracket, with 543 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing our confirmed total number in Nigeria so far to 38,344, of which 15,815 were successfully treated and discharged.

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“We have regrettably recorded 813 fatalities, mostly with co-morbidities and tested a total of 247,825 persons in all.”

He added: “We can rightly assume from the exponentially increasing numbers, that the pool of potentially infectious persons in the community is rising and with that, the risk of infection for citizens at all levels of society, since a very significant number of persons testing positive is not in observation or treatment.”

He commended persons of influence in society, who were tested positive for COVID-19 and came out publicly to declare it and entrust themselves to prescribed treatment.

“They do us a world of good by showing that there is no shame and nothing to hide about COVID-19, and they also contribute immensely to building confidence in the Health System,” the minister said.

He pointed out that the Ministry of Health rededicates itself to doing everything possible to ensure that citizens get the best of treatment and are well taken care of.

The minister stated that when COVID-19 finally comes, Nigeria will not be shortchanged, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari, has started an initiative where Africa in a block would work together “towards ensuring that Africa does not short-change when vaccines come out.”

He warned hospital to stop rejecting patients due to the fear of COVID-19 pandemic, adding, “nobody should be rejected in hospital.”