Cynthia Ezegwu
Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has appealed to medical professionals to place patriotism above financial gain in the discharge of their duties.
Radda made the call on Wednesday while declaring open the 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in Katsina.
He assured doctors that his administration would continue to support the medical profession, improve healthcare delivery, and expand access to primary health centres across the state.
“The importance of the medical profession is so much that every society needs it, and so it is important for you to also put patriotism ahead of remuneration, because the important role you play in saving the lives of people requires compassion,” the governor said.
He added that the state government was investing in functional primary health centres in every community to reduce pressure on secondary and tertiary facilities.
In his address, NARD President, Dr Tope Osundara, highlighted the major drivers of doctors’ migration, citing poor remuneration, exhaustive working conditions, and a shortage of manpower as pressing challenges.
“The exodus of health workers has potentially increased the percentage of critically ill patients with an inadequate healthcare workforce to cater for their needs,” Osundara said.
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He called for urgent reforms in remuneration, incentives, and training to improve morale and reduce attrition. According to him, no attempt has been made through a collective bargaining agreement in over a decade to enhance doctors’ salaries.
“It has been noted that the strongest reward to motivate health workers in Nigeria is payment of salary and other financial incentives,” he added.
The NARD President, who praised members for their resilience, also recalled that the association had suspended its recent five-day warning strike after just two days, granting the Federal Government a two-week grace period to address its demands.
He said the decision was reached to demonstrate goodwill to Nigerians while urging the government to fulfil its promises on doctors’ welfare.