The National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioner (NAGGMDP), Abia State Chapter, consisting of doctors under the state’s Hospital Management Board (HMB) have asked the state government to pay their 13 months’ salary arrears.
NAGGMDP said doctors and other health workers were passing through difficult situations which the government needed to stop.
The call was contained in a letter by NAGGMDP to Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, and signed by its Chairman, Dr. Obinna Okeugo and the Secretary Dr. Iroabuchi Egeruo.
The body said the doctors and other health workers were being owed salary arrears from January to December 2019 and an additional one month in 2020 totaling 13 months.
They said former governor Theodore Orji signed the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) salary structures for doctors and other health workers into law in 2011.
NAGGMDP noted that only 70 per cent of this salary structure was implemented and that not every staff of HMB is even receiving this 70 percent salary structure.