Weeks after the “Shared Prosperity” Government of Sen Hope Uzodinma launched the much celeberated door to door health programme and the mobile clinic to help enhance health services in Imo state, more cracks have continued to spring up.
Trumpeta over the weekend learnt that the troubles bedeviling the state health sector may not have been resolved after all with the doctors in the state threatening to embark on a warning strike over unpaid entitlements and other pressing issues.
Representatives of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA of Nigeria, Imo State chapter accompanied by their counterparts from Dental Association last
Friday on the popular radio program, “The Peoples Assembly” in Hot 99.5 FM, Owerri explained to Imolites their position on the back log of their entitlements owed them by the state government including other incentives they pointed out their counterparts in other states are enjoying considering the hazards they go through while rendering health services amidst the Corona virus outbreak.
The NMA representatives who also took a swipe at the authorities for alleging that their actions are politically motivated explained that what they are agitating for is clearly their rights lamenting that even Imo State University Teaching Hospital, IMSUTH, Orlu lost its accreditation since 2017 and cannot admit medical students until they get accredited again when they meet the requirements calling on the state Governor, Sen Hope Uzodinma to help resolve the ugly situation as they warm up for an industrial action.
In a related development, workers in the Ministry of Health, Owerri have cried out over the non-payment of their salaries since five months.
This paper again learnt that over 20 workers of the Health Ministry have not been paid their salaries for about five months.
A close source to the Ministry who pleaded for anonymity revealed to Trumpeta that the affected workers had their data collated by the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, as was requested by the authorities as well as went through verification exercises yet did not get paid.
This paper also gathered via unconfirmed reports that some of the affected workers who have connections with top officials are visiting the Accountant Generals AG’s office to collect their payment.
The source further disclosed that those who have no connection with top officials are left in no man’s land as regards to when they can get their salaries.
