Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to Governor Abdullahi Sule to address welfare issues concerning doctors in Nasarawa, threatening to go on strike if he fails to accede to their demands.

Peter Attah, NMA chairman in Nasarawa, disclosed this while briefing reporters on Tuesday in Lafia, the state capital.

He explained that the ultimatum starts on June 13 and ends on July 3.

Mr Attah threatened that the doctors would withdraw their services if the government failed to meet their demands by the ultimatum’s expiration.

He listed some problems, including non-implementation of promotions for doctors and annual salary increments for over nine years, non-implementation of N30,000 minimum wage and consequential adjustments.

Others are non-implementation of the reviewed hazard allowance circular and the accrued 17 months salary arrears, high burden of taxation and inadequate workforce and overwork load.

He said 25 doctors employed in 2014 at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) and the Hospital Management Board had not been promoted for nine years.

The NMA chairman added that the association visited the governor on January 17, 2023, and tabled the issues for his consideration but wondered why nothing was done to address them.

According to him, the association had given the Nasarawa government enough time to address their demands, but the government has been insensitive to their plight.

The chairman explained that the association had shown understanding with the government towards ensuring industrial harmony, but the government failed to reciprocate the gesture.

Mr Attah further said 27 medical doctors had left the services of the state in the last month due to poor welfare packages.

“Twenty doctors resigned from DASH and seven from the Hospital Management Board in the last three weeks,” he said.

He said the World Health Organisation standard is that one doctor is expected to attend to about 600 people, but the ratio in Nasarawa is one doctor to more than 20,000 people.

(NAN)