Private hospitals ban: Nasarawa Medical doctors dare governor Sule

By Abubakar Lawal Lafia

The Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Nasarawa State Chapter has dared Nasarawa state government on a directive issued to its members on government payroll to stop private practice.

Reacting to government position at a press briefing in Lafia, the state Chairman Dr. Sabo Emmanuel said as professionals, “they have never breached any protocol in respect of the job.”

“Medical doctors on the payroll of the state government had never been found wanting for compromising their official duties as they engage in private practice according to the laid down rules guiding establishment and operating private hospitals and clinics’, Dr. Emmanuel stated.

The state Chairman of NMA confirmed that private practice by medical doctors in the state had greatly improved as well as bridged the gap in the health sector.

“This efforts by our members had gone a long way in reckendled medical needs of the people over the years.

Dr. Emmanuel called on the state government to concentrate on addressing issues bordering on welfare of doctors in the state especially lack of promotions which had lingered on since 2010 and annual salary increments among others.

“Let me also use this medium to appreciate Governor Abdullahi Sule for being among the first governors to pay COVID 19, hazard allowances for health workers.

He pointed out that as at August this year, over 150 health workers in the state had been infected with COVID 19. Dr. Sabo Emmanuel called on medical doctors to redouble their efforts in the provision of health care services to the people.

It could be called that Nasarawa State Government had given a matching order to medical doctors on its payroll who are engaged in private practice to shut down their facilities or risk losing their appointments with the government.