Secretary to Anambra State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, has urged members of the National Association of Resident Doctors to go for life insurance instead of insisting on hazard allowance, which is based on COVID-19.
This is even as the NARD president, Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, also called for full implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale for resident doctors at the state-owned Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital.
The two officials spoke on Wednesday when the NARD executive paid a courtesy visit to Chukwulobelu.
Okhuaihesuyi urged the state government to review the CONMESS implementation from 70 percent to 100 percent as obtained at the federal level, noting that full implementation of CONMESS would help to retain manpower in the hospital.
Chukwulobelu, however, said that 70 percent CONMESS implementation was the best the government could effectively afford.
Okhuaihesuyi thanked the state government for ensuring that the residency training programme at the state-owned university had become fully operational, while also hailing the government for putting critical infrastructure on ground for effective and efficient healthcare delivery in the hospital.
Okhuaihesuyi also called for upward review of resident doctors’ hazard allowance, in addition of life insurance for doctors.
“All these will help to check the rate of brain drain in the health sector and make it comparable to some of the best in the world,” he said.
The NARD president informed the SSG that the association was in the state for its week-long Ordinary General Assembly.
Responding, Chukwulobelu said that 70 percent CONMESS implementation was the best the government could effectively afford, noting that the condition of service in the hospital was developed and approved by the incumbent administration.
He said that CONMESS was reached using some of the best paying state hospitals as benchmark. He, however, urged doctors not to rely on subvention for the sustenance of the hospital but to strive to boost the hospital’s internally generated revenue to enhance their welfare.
Chukwulobelu said: “In advanced climes, money follows patients to best hospitals, but here, money follows the doctors.
“Some consultants divert patients of public hospitals to their private hospitals. This is not healthy for the revenue profile of the hospital. They must work and apply business acumen to sustain themselves.
“I encourage you to go for life insurance instead of hazard allowance, which is based on COVID-19.”
(NAN)
