Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has rejected Governor Nasir El’rufai’s decision to cut the pay of doctors and other health workers employed by the state by 25% and called for a reversal to “avert crisis”.
The association said news of the slash was a shock at a time governments grappling with the coronavirus pandemic world over are providing incentives to motivate healthcare workers
” NMA hereby calls on the State Government to as a matter of urgency to avert crisis in the health sector of Kaduna State by immediately paying all health care workers the balance of 25% of their April 2020 salaries
“Enhance the hazard allowance of health care workers by domesticating the memorandum of understanding entered into by the Federal Government with the unions in the health sector
“Implement a tax rebate for health care workers in the State. Provide Life Insurance and other social benefits for Health care workers in the State,” .
The NMA added that since the onset of this pandemic over 40 healthcare workers across the country have been infected with the virus in the course of their duty and many more in constant danger of being infected.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Dr Stephen Akau Kache-State Chairman and Dr Ifeanyi Aghadi Kene – State Secretary respectively issued to newsmen.
They said doctors in Kaduna are currently the poorest paid in the country.
They had been on a strike to demand for an improvement to their salaries but the strike was suspended out of a “passionate and patriotic desire to join forces with Government and the citizens to control the Covid 19 pandemic,” the according to the association.
