The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) have issued a 21-day notice to the Federal Government to immediately review and implement the newly revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) agreed upon with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
Lafiya360 reports that MDCAN stated that the released circular by the Government only captured the percentage increase on the Basic Salary, as against applying it to both the Basic Salary and all allowances except Hazard Allowance. This error, it said, has resulted in the complete exclusion of the Clinical Lecturers (Honorary Consultants) from benefiting from the upward review.
The doctors’ association, therefore, urged the government that the upward review of their salaries should take into consideration the impacts of the fuel subsidy removal and the high inflationary trend that is currently being experienced.
According to a statement signed by the President of MDCAN, Victor Makanjuola, and the Secretary-general, Yemi Raji, the association appealed to the Government to as a matter of urgency resolve all the contending issues with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), in order to ensure that the Government Hospitals return to normal operation for optimal healthcare delivery immediately.
The statement which was issued after MDCAN’s extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting states: “We demand for the immediate review of the newly revised CONMESS circular and issuance of a new circular that would reflect the agreed percentage on both the Basic Salary and other allowances, apart from hazard allowance. This will ensure that the Clinical Lecturers (Honorary Consultants) would benefit from the upward review.
“We call for the correction of the error of commencement of the implementation of the upward review of CONMESS from 1st June 2023 to 1st January 2023.
“We demand that the upward review of the CONMESS should take into consideration the impacts of the fuel subsidy removal and the high inflationary trend that is currently being experienced.
“We demand for the immediate implementation and circularization of the agreed modalities for correcting the shortfalls in remunerations of Clinical Lecturers (Honorary Consultants).
“We appeal for the universal applicability of CONMESS to all Medical and Dental doctors, particularly those in the public universities.
“The attention of the Government is once again called to the impact of brain drain in the health sector, which is contributing to burnout among our members and inadequate healthcare workforce to cater for the health of Nigerians. We therefore demand for the immediate implementation of the upward review of age retirement to 70 years for Consultants and 65 years for other health workers, as an immediate measure to bridge the ongoing massive brain drain.
“The NEC hopes that all these issues will be satisfactorily resolved within the next 21 days, failing which it can no longer guarantee the present relative industrial harmony within the Government hospitals and our Medical Schools.”