MDCAN Requests Immediate Implementation Of Hazards Allowance

The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has called for the payment of hazards allowances to workers in hospitals across the country to become effective immediately. Dr. Victor Makanjuola, the President of MDCAN, made this appeal as he spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

MDCAN is a group of medical specialists who are in different healthcare fields of medicine and dentistry. Consultants are practitioners that have the highest qualifications in medical practices. Their responsibilities include training medical doctors, offering specialist services to patients and conducting researches in medical fields.

MDCAN has a membership in both government and non-government hospitals as well as tertiary and secondary health facilities across Nigeria. Dr. Makanjuola had indicated that the decision to make the appeal was taken during the MDCAN National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that was held recently in Rivers state.

“The NEC advises the Government to be wary of actions that could result in loss of remunerations to the health workers, especially in the face of worsening inflation in the country. We call on Government to immediately resolve the issues of the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, to allow students to return to school.

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“State Governments owing our members several months of salaries and other emoluments are enjoined to pay the arrears of what is owed to the medical and dental consultants working in their hospitals and continue payment of their monthly emoluments as at when due, with particular reference to Abia and Ondo State Governments,” he appealed.

According to him, governments, at all levels, are encouraged to prioritize the allocation of resources towards the health sector’s use for infrastructure and human capacity development. Dr. Makanjuola also stated that governments, at all levels, need to increase the funding for healthcare service delivery, especially at the secondary healthcare level.

Dr. Makanjuola stated that the MDCAN also called for the speedy address of the issue regarding the shortfall in remunerations of its members without further delay, especially that of Clinical Lecturers. However, he also appealed to the government to put all the processes in motion in order to stop the mass exodus of Nigerian Doctors to other countries as a result of brain drain.

“The Federal Ministry of Health, National Council on Establishments and other relevant Agencies of Government should expedite action on the implementation of the upward review of retirement age for Health workers. Further delay might result in irreversible damage to the nation’s health security from the brain drain of experienced and highly skilled health workforce.”