59 doctors resign in Nasarawa, over poor welfare conditions
A total of 59 medical doctors formerly working at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, DASH, in Lafia, Nasarawa State, have resigned from their positions with the state government.
The doctors cited the non-implementation of hazard allowances and poor conditions of service as the primary reasons for their resignation over the past three months.
20 of the doctors left to seek opportunities in Saudi Arabia while the remaining 39 resigned due to dissatisfaction with their conditions of service.
This mass exodus of medical professionals comes amid a broader trend of instability in industrial relations at Nasarawa State Government-owned hospitals, including strikes, protests, and resignations of health workers, particularly doctors, due to the non-implementation of hazard allowances.
The situation has escalated in recent months, with over 50 medical doctors resigning from state services between January and March 2024.
A government official from DASH, who chose to remain anonymous, disclosed that the hospital received more than 25 resignation letters from doctors within just two days, stating the severity of the situation.
Dr. Yakubu Adeleke, the president of the National Association of Resident Doctors in Nasarawa State, expressed frustration over the lack of response from the state government to address the doctors’ demands for improved welfare.
He pointed out issues such as stagnated promotions, with some doctors working for up to eight years without promotion, as major grievances, warning that the mass resignation of doctors would significantly strain the state’s health system.
He said, “Doctors in Nasarawa State have been stagnated. No promotion. Some doctors have been working for eight years without promotion.”
In response, the Commissioner for Health in Nasarawa State, Dr Gaza Gwamna, acknowledged the challenges and stated that the state government had initiated the implementation of a welfare package for doctors.
Gwamna urged the remaining doctors to remain calm, assuring them that the government was in the process of recruiting to fill the vacant positions.
