The President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Prof. Mohammad Aminu, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently subsidise electricity tariffs for public hospitals and educational institutions to prevent their potential collapse.
Prof. Aminu stated that the current hike in electricity tariffs is unsustainable and could severely impact activities in public health institutions and hospitals across the country. He emphasised that this critical situation requires immediate intervention.
In a statement signed by the association’s publicity secretary, Dr Godwin Adgidzi, and made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Jos, Plateau State, Prof. Aminu urged the federal government to convene a healthcare and education summit.
He also called for training and re-training of medical doctors both within Nigeria and abroad to ensure they remain abreast of global best practices.
Prof. Aminu further enjoined President Tinubu to address the harmonisation of payments with the CONMESS salary structure for consultants, increase the retirement age for hospital consultants to 70 years, and review the CONMESS salary structure and allowances, among other demands.
President Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, assured the doctors that he would convey their message to the President for prompt action.
The Minister noted that the President has prioritised the health sector, with some of the concerns already being addressed.
He encouraged the association to view the Ministry of Health as a valuable partner in advancing the sector’s overall development.
The minister expressed confidence that the president would address some of the issues raised within the limits of his powers.
Other officials present during the courtesy visit included the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms. Kachollom Daju; the Director of Hospital Services, Dr. Jimoh Salaudeen; and the Director of Human Resource Management, Ms. Tetshoma T. Dafeta.
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