The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Kogi Hospital Management Board (KHMB), Dr Zakari Usman, has commended Gov. Yahaya Bello for the implementation of the 2014 corrected Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for doctors in the state’s civil service.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday, in Lokoja, Usman gave the commendation, while noting that the implementation of the revised CONMESS for Kogi doctors was effected in January 2021, following the governor’s directive and approval.
”I want to use this opportunity to extend our gratitude from the Hospital Management Board to His Excellency, to Gov. Yahaya Bello, for always thinking health first.
”His Excellency is a health-friendly governor, who has just recently considered and approved the revised CONMESS of 2014 for our doctors. This has demonstrated to us that yes, among the the areas of interventions, health is indeed second only to education”, Usman said.
Usman noted other efforts of the state government in the health sector, to include building of three new hospitals, a Reference Hospital in Okene, Ultramodern General Hospitals in Gegu, Kotonkarfe LGA, and in Eganyi, Ajaokuta Local Government Area.
He added that rehabilitation work was also ongoing at the Kogi Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, with plans already underway to upgrade zonal hospitals in Idah and Isanlu.
The CMD said it was commendable that in spite of the various interventions in healthcare infrastructure, the governor still considered it appropriate to approve and implement the 2014 CONMESS for doctors.
”This is appreciated by us at the Hospital Management Board. I am sure the other health agencies are also very appreciative because the doctors are excited”, he said.
He stressed that there was no doubt the gesture would impact on the productivity of doctors and motivate them to work harder and with high professionalism.
”We are excited at the prospects of what the health sector stands to benefit from this gesture of His Excellency. Not all States have implemented the 2014 revised CONMESS for their doctors; Kogi is one of the few states that have done this.
”From this month’s salary, I have gathered from doctors that most of them have already received salaries in accordance with the revised CONMESS of 2014.
”I am also optimistic that the issue of full CONHESS, for other categories of health care workers, and call duty allowances for Optometrists, will receive prompt and urgent attention”, Usman said.
The CMD further thanked the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu, for working assiduously to ensure that the agitation bore fruit.
Usman called on doctors of Kogi origin, in particular, and from other parts of the federation to come to the state, to support efforts aimed at building the health sector, through the government’s planned recruitment of healthcare workers, to bridge the human resource gap.
NAN reports that the implementation of the 2014 revised CONMESS, had been a long-standing agitation of the Kogi State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), alongside others that include the non-implementation of the new N30,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustment, skipping, relativity, promotion and annual increment. (NAN)
