The Nigerian Medical Association, Plateau State branch, has promise to conduct a free medical checkup for 1,000 civil servants in the state.

Chairman of NMA in the state, Dr Cashmir Kumtap, who made the disclosure on Monday in Jos while briefing journalists, said that the exercise would take place on Wednesday at Jos Gomwalk Secretariat.

Mr Kumtap said that the gesture was one of the association’s activities to commemorate NMA 2024 annual physicians’ week with the theme “Ensuring universal applicability in remuneration: A panacea to talent retention in the healthcare system.”

The chairman said the association would also give out 11 crutches and six walkers to some physically challenged state civil servants.

He said, “The civil servants will be sensitised to the best health practices and would also be screened for diabetes, high blood pressure, hepatitis, malaria, and some forms of cancer. The theme for the 2024 annual physicians’ week is apt as it would help address the issue of the mass exodus of health care workers, especially doctors. The issue of salary disparity is also a concern for doctors working for the state government, as their salaries were lower than the salaries of their contemporaries who work for the Federal Government. As a critical stakeholder in the health system, the association would be giving periodic policy advisories to the state government. One of such advisories is the bonding of medical students through the payment of stipends, whereby at post graduation they would work for the state government for two or three years as a strategy for talent retention.’’

He further said the association was working towards getting a 50 per cent tax rebate for its members from their pay as the earn tax, which would be a huge incentive to workers and also a means of retention.

Mr Kumtap added that with the recent outbreak of cholera in Plateau, it was imperative for people to inculcate the act of hand washing, ensure they washed their fruits properly, and drink water from safe sources.

The subtheme for the 2024 physicians’ week is “Mitigating the impact of infectious diseases: Addressing the monkeypox outbreak and beyond.”

(NAN)