Track UpNews
25 November 2022
In a bid to forestall strikes by doctors and other health workers in the country, the Federal Government has pledged proactive measures by reviewing the salary structures of medical doctors, under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige disclosed this while playing host to a delegation of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Thursday in Abuja.
Ngige noted that despite the prevailing economic challenges facing the nation, the Federal Government remained committed to, not just the review of CONMESS, but also CONHESS to ensure stability in the nation’s health system.
The minister said the trajectory informed his insistence during the recent negotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) SSANU and NASU that any salary review that does not recognise agitations from other sector unions drawing from the Federal treasury might be counterproductive.
He assured the NMA that the ministry would liaise with its Health counterpart to take over the matter and ensure an early resolution.
Ngige reminded the NMA about the consequences of the ministry taking over conciliation of the matter.
“The bad shape of the economy does not mean the doctors or other health professionals should not earn decent wages that can really take them home so they can take care of their needs as medical practitioners
Earlier, report say the top most of the challenges
facing doctors in Nigeria, especially the review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), as noted the NMA president, Dr. Uche Ojinmah; was the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, which he said has been overdue by eight years
‘ We wrote to our parent Ministry of Health on June 5, 2022, seeking a meeting, just as other previous national officers of NMA have written since 2014 for the same issue and without result” he explained.
“Recall that it is the 2009 Agreement that yielded CONMESS and we agreed with government that it would be reviewed in five years and that five years was up in 2014, and this 2022. Nothing has been done about this. We wrote in June to the Ministry of Health to ask for discussion over this. The meetings they convened were all structured to fail.” he further explained.
The NMA was led by its President, Dr. Uche Ojinmah; Secretary, Jude Onyekwere, as well as the President of Nigerian Association Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), Nosa Orhue, among others.
