Some Level 14 health workers in Katsina State have opted for Level 8 appointments in federal institutions because of salary disparities, Umar Lawal-Bawale, an association chairman, has said.

Mr Lawal-Bawale, chairman of the Katsina Branch of the Association of Radiographers of Nigeria (ARN), said this on Wednesday.

He spoke during a briefing by the Assembly of Health Care Professionals on the ongoing strike by health workers in the state.

He said the industrial action was not solely about remuneration but also aimed to protect healthcare delivery and address the growing exodus of professionals from the state’s health sector.

According to him, the state government’s recent announcement to recruit 109 healthcare workers might not adequately address staff shortages unless underlying welfare concerns were resolved.

He stated that during the previous recruitment exercise, four or five radiographers were offered employment by the state government, but some secured offers from federal institutions before resuming duty and opted for the federal appointments.

Mr Lawal-Bawale said the development reflected the challenges facing the state in retaining skilled healthcare personnel, warning that the situation could further weaken service delivery without urgent intervention.

He cited instances where state government hospitals had only one nurse attending to patients in a ward, compared with federal institutions, where several nurses could care for a similar number of patients.

The ARN chairman said healthcare workers in federal institutions received substantially higher remuneration than their state counterparts, despite having similar qualifications and professional responsibilities.

He noted that when they began their careers about six or seven years ago, the salary difference between health workers in Katsina State and federal institutions ranged between N17,000 and N20,000.

He said the disparity had since widened to about N150,000, making federal employment increasingly attractive to professionals working in the state.

Mr Lawal-Bawale emphasised that constructing more general hospitals alone would not resolve the state’s healthcare challenges without adequate attention to staff welfare and retention.

He referred to a recent media report on General Hospital, Batsari, which reportedly indicated that only one doctor was serving the facility, describing the situation as concerning.

The chairman also cited a recent salary increment in Zamfara, saying it had encouraged some healthcare workers in Funtua to seek employment with the Zamfara State Health Services Management Board, even on contract.

He warned that failure to address salary disparities and improve working conditions could leave Katsina government hospitals without enough professionals to provide essential healthcare services.

Mr Lawal-Bawale urged the state government to address healthcare workers’ concerns, emphasising that improved welfare was crucial to retaining skilled personnel and ensuring sustainable healthcare delivery.

(NAN)