A total of 59 medical doctors who were working with Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia, have withdrawn their services from the Nasarawa State Government over the non-implementation of hazard allowances and poor condition of service in the last three months.
Findings by Daily Trust indicated that 20 doctors left for Saudi Arabia while 39 resigned on account of poor condition of service.
Our correspondent also gathered that in the last two years, Nasarawa State Government-owned General and Specialist Hospitals have been characterized by unstable industrial harmony, strikes, protests and resignation of health workers particularly doctors owing to the non-implementation of hazard allowances.
It was further learned that the situation became alarming following the resignation of over 50 medical doctors from the state’s services between January and March 2024.
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A top government official in the administrative unit of DASH who preferred not to be mentioned told our correspondent that they received over 25 resignation letters from doctors within two days. The president of the National Association of Resident Doctors in Nasarawa State, Dr Yakubu Adeleke, explained that since 2022, they had been reaching out to the state government to urgently address their demands which centred on welfare, but all efforts proved abortive.
He said, “Doctors in Nasarawa State have been stagnated. No promotion. Some doctors have been working for eight years without promotion.”
Dr Adeleke said the recent massive resignation of the doctors would put more pressure on the state’s health system.
Some of the doctors, who spoke to journalists in the state, said they had run out of patience.
The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Gaza Gwamna, explained that the state government had begun the implementation of a welfare package for doctors in the state.
He, however, appealed to the remaining doctors to remain calm, adding that the state government had begun the process of employment to fill the vacant positions.
Our correspondent observed that the impact of the mass exodus of doctors has begun to manifest at DASH as a large number of patients were seen waiting for long hours before they could access healthcare.
