Cynthia Ezegwu
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has said it will not disrupt health services in Enugu State despite the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) over salary issues.
The NMA also praised Governor Peter Mbah for improving the welfare of healthcare workers in the state through increased remuneration. This was disclosed by the NMA Enugu State Chairman, Dr. Sunday Okafor, during a press conference on Monday marking the 2025 Physicians’ Week and the maiden Enugu South-East Regional Health Summit in Enugu.
Dr. Okafor noted that doctors in Enugu State are among the best-paid in the country, attributing this to Governor Mbah’s commitment to motivating healthcare personnel. “It is on record that in the country, Enugu healthcare personnel are the highest paid, and as a parent body, we cannot disrupt health services in those areas where the governor is actually doing well,” he said.
The NMA chairman further called on the Federal Government and other state governments to emulate Enugu’s approach by prioritising the welfare of health workers to prevent frequent strikes by NARD members.
Okafor stressed that any shutdown of healthcare services would disrupt social services and negatively affect patients, urging the federal government to resolve the ongoing dispute with resident doctors.
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He also lauded Governor Mbah for investing in healthcare infrastructure, including upgrading primary, secondary, and tertiary hospitals, and building Type Two Primary Health Centres across the state’s 260 electoral wards.
Speaking on the theme “Healthcare as a Value Chain – Building Efficiency from Policy to Patients,” Dr. Okafor revealed that the regional health summit would bring together health system leaders from the South-East to share strategies for improving healthcare delivery.
“The governor is building Type Two Primary Health Centres across 260 electoral wards in Enugu State, and each of them is being operationalised. NMA Enugu State has continued to partner with the government because when you see the vision of the leader, you complement his efforts,” he said.