Posted by The National Association of General Government Medical and Dental Practitioners, NAGGMDP, and the Ondo State Chapter Executive Committee of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA-SEC, have urged the state government to swiftly adopt 100% Hazard Allowance for their members.
The action would significantly address the worrying pace of brain drain in the healthcare industry and the rising number of medical experts looking for chances abroad, claim the medical groups.
The leadership of both organisations, led by Dr. Omosehin Adeyemi-Osowe, the State Chairman of the NMA, raised worries that the situation, if not quickly addressed, may have detrimental effects on the state’s health sector during their meeting with Acting Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
They insisted that the action will lessen the “Japa syndrome,” a condition where Nigerian medical experts go for career prospects abroad.
The government has previously committed to pay the hazard allowance along with clearing any outstanding arrears, but the implementation process has not yet been started, the NMA and NAGGMDP emphasized.
The state government was asked by the medical associations to give the early payment of the hazard allowance top priority because doing so would provide healthcare professionals with a strong incentive to continue providing care to the people of the nation.
Dr. Oluwaseun Akinbohun-Sado, the state publicity secretary of NAGGMDP, stated that the delegation of doctors bemoaned and urged action to stop the brain drain in the Ondo State healthcare industry.
The government had already agreed to the government’s first demand, which was the fast implementation of a 100% Hazard Allowance as well as the payment of arrears that had previously been sought but had not yet been made.