Doctors under the aegis of the Medical Guild have issued the Lagos State Government three weeks to expedite the implementation of the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) for medical doctors in the state.
The Medical Guild, which represents doctors employed by the Lagos State Government, issued a three-week ultimatum during a news conference held on Wednesday in Lagos.
Dr. Moruf Abdulsalam, Chairman of the Medical Guild, expressed dissatisfaction with the bureaucratic delays hindering the implementation of the reviewed CONMESS wage increase.
He noted that while doctors employed by the Federal Government have been receiving the new wage since February 2024, including accrued arrears, their counterparts in Lagos are yet to see any changes.
The ultimatum
CONMESS is the salary scale for all Medical and Dental practitioners across Nigeria, designed to prevent internal brain drain and rural-urban migration among doctors.
During the conference, Dr. Abdulsalam recalled that at the Medical Guild’s General Assembly meeting on April 27, a resolution was passed to give the state government four weeks to implement the new CONMESS wage.
However, with the deadline approaching, the Medical Guild Representative Council, in a meeting on June 2, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the lack of progress.
The Council resolved that if the government does not act within the next three weeks, the Medical Guild would declare an industrial dispute.
“The Association should further give the government a three-week period in line with the resolution reached by the General Assembly,” Dr. Abdulsalam stated.
“The Officers’ Committee should escalate and call a General Assembly of the Medical Guild at the Secretariat at the expiration of the three weeks to decide the next line of action.”
Dr. Abdulsalam highlighted the global competitiveness of the medical profession, which has led to a significant migration of medical personnel to environments offering better remuneration and improved conditions of service.
- He also pointed out the increasing rural-to-urban migration of doctors, and the worrying trend of resignations from the Health Service Commission, LASUTH, and the Primary Healthcare Board.
- Many doctors are moving to private medical practices or federal hospitals due to poor remuneration, excessive workload, and poor service conditions.
What you should know
A recent online survey conducted by the Guild, with responses from 940 members, revealed that 91% of doctors reported manpower shortages in their departments and hospitals.
- Additionally, 59% reported an increase in the number of call duties over the past year, 86% felt overworked, and 54% reported low morale.
- The survey also indicated a surge in mental illnesses among doctors, primarily due to excessive workloads and poor conditions of service.
- Abdulsalam reminded that during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors continued to provide critical services while other workers were allowed to work from home.
“While other civil servants were granted the respite to work from home on some days of the week, the doctors remained within the confines of the hospital every day of the week because a ‘special calenderisation’ exists within the health sector,” he said.
“It is apparent that doctors have become part of the palliative measures deployed to cater for the health needs of Lagos State residents without receiving commensurate compensation for the increased workload.”