Governments across all levels have been charged to ensure uniform implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), across all states and healthcare levels.
The charge was given today (Monday, 28th October, 2024), in Ilorin by the Chairman Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kwara State Branch Dr. (Prof.) Abdulrahman Afolabi, at a Press Conference organized in commemoration of Physicians’ Week- involving series of activities originally designed in line with the World Health Day activities, of the World Health Organisation.
In his words: “We therefore urge all levels of government to ensure the uniform implementation of our salary structure, the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), across all states and healthcare levels. We also call for the prompt payment of all outstanding arrears related to salary upgrades including the accoutrement allowance. The government must invest in our health infrastructure, improve working conditions for healthcare workers, and prioritize health in our sub-national and national agenda.
He also called on the government to invest more in Nigeria’s health infrastructure, improve working conditions for healthcare workers, and prioritize health in sub-national and national agenda.
We have the talent, the knowledge, and the passion within our ranks to achieve great things. What we need now is the support and investment from our leaders. I also at this point want to appreciate His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Chairman Governors Forum for his visionary leadership to improve on the state Health indices, through various initiatives”.
The NMA head in Kwara while urging the government to attend to their needs, said that the theme of this Year’s event is ‘Ensuring Universal Applicability in Remuneration: A Panacea to Talent Retention in the Healthcare System’ with its subtheme, ‘Infectious Diseases: Addressing the Monkeypox Outbreak and Beyond’
He disclosed further that about 42 cases are being monitored serially across 15 states to confirm for the presence of virus causing mpox
“This is still being monitored serially by the centre for disease control, and the risk factors usually is transmitted from animal to people then sometimes infected person to other people, then sometimes the environment to individual the mode of transmission can be either droplets, infected skins or from body fluid on contact with an individual” he added.
Afolabi further revealed that there are currently no confirmed cases of the monkey pox diseases in Kwara state, noting that the first index case in Nigeria was reported on the 10th of September, 2017 with relevant authorities in Nigeria monitoring the suspected spread of the disease.