Health workers laud Sani over salary implementation, health reforms
Health workers in Kaduna State have commended Gov. Uba Sani for the implementation of the revised 2024 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
The commendation was made during a joint news briefing by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and other health unions on Tuesday in Kaduna.
Others at the briefing included representatives of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (AMLSN), and Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), all from the Kaduna State chapters.
Speaking on behalf of the unions, Dr. Bayero Samuel of the NMA, said the approval and implementation of the revised salary structures marked the end of over a decade of stagnation in remuneration for health workers in the state.
He said the approval amounted to an additional ₦518.6 million monthly and ₦6.2 billion annually in the state’s health personnel wage bill.
Samuel said the move would aid in staff retention and reduce the outflow of health workers to other states and countries.
He also acknowledged the directive by the governor for the local government councils to commence the payment of 60 percent of CONHESS to staffers under the Primary Healthcare Board.
According to him, the decision will ensure equity in remuneration across all levels of healthcare service delivery in the state.
The unions also welcomed the government’s approval for automatic employment of the 2025 graduating medical students of Kaduna State University (KASU) as house officers at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital (BDTH).
Samuel said the state had also reintroduced a bond system mandating state-sponsored medical students and resident doctors to serve a minimum of three years in the state after graduation or training.
He said this would help the state maximise its investment in human capital development within the health sector.
The unions further listed several infrastructure projects completed or ongoing in the health sector under the current administration.
These included the completion of a 300-bed Specialist Hospital, renovation of 15 General Hospitals, and revitalisation of over 200 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).
Others were the construction of three oxygen plants, establishment of three special baby care units, and the upgrade of a medical warehouse in Kakuri.
Also mentioned was the procurement of medical equipment, seven advanced life support ambulances, and the annual recruitment of 1,800 health workers over the next three years to strengthen staffing at PHCs.
The unions said the interventions demonstrated a policy shift towards prioritising healthcare as a tool for development.
They expressed readiness to support the government’s efforts to improve healthcare access and delivery across the state.
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