The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) stated that medical doctors serving in Jigawa State government hospitals receive the lowest monthly wages and allowances in the country.
This information was contained in a press statement issued by Dr. Aminu Abdullahi, the NMA Chairman, and made available to the Online Tribune in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State.
Dr Abdullahi highlighted that members of the association are departing the state for other regions within the country due to differences in their monthly remuneration.
According to the statement, “Jigawa is facing a dual challenge of bidirectional brain drain, where doctors are leaving the state for other states in search of better pay, leaving only 350 doctors in the state.”
The NMA chairman stressed that “the primary reason for the shortage of doctors in the state is the disparity in monthly payments, placing the state at a disadvantage when compared to other states in the federation.”
Dr. Aminu Abdullahi revealed that this statement was part of the association’s 2023 Physicians’ Week celebration.
He also mentioned that the celebration would continue with various activities to raise awareness and draw the attention of relevant stakeholders to issues significant to its members, which are crucial for a robust healthcare delivery system in the state.
The statement further revealed, “The membership of the Nigerian Medical Association in Jigawa State includes around 350 doctors across all facilities, both federal and state-owned, tasked with catering to about 7 million indigenes of the state.”
“Presently, the doctor-patient ratio stands at about 1:21,000 according to our records, contrasting sharply with the WHO standard of 1:600. The ratio is similar for nurses and other health workers in the state.
This stands as one of the poorest ratios in the country, significantly affecting health indices,” emphasised Mr Abdullahi.
Mr Abdullahi pointed out that “the state used to boast the best salary structure for medical doctors across the country.
However, since the payment review in 2011, Jigawa has lagged behind, becoming the least in the country in terms of better monthly pay for doctors and other healthcare providers.”
The NMA highlighted, “It’s also notable that Jigawa was among the early states to implement CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures for its healthcare workforce in 2011, which previously positioned it as one of the highest-paid states in the country.”
