A total of 59 medical doctors who were formerly working at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, have resigned from their positions with the state government.
The doctors mentioned the lack of hazard allowances implementation and inadequate conditions of service as the main reasons for their resignations over the last three months.
According to DAILY POST, 20 doctors left to explore opportunities in Saudi Arabia, while the remaining 39 resigned due to dissatisfaction with their conditions of service.
This surge in medical professionals leaving coincides with a wider pattern of labor unrest in hospitals owned by the Nasarawa State Government, marked by strikes, demonstrations, and health worker resignations, especially among doctors, due to the failure to implement hazard allowances.
The situation has worsened in recent months, with over 50 medical doctors resigning from state services between January and March 2024 alone.
An anonymous government official from DASH revealed that the hospital received over 25 resignation letters from doctors in just two days, underscoring the seriousness of the issue.
Expressing frustration, Dr. Yakubu Adeleke, the president of the National Association of Resident Doctors in Nasarawa State, highlighted the lack of response from the state government to address doctors’ demands for improved welfare.
He pointed out issues such as stagnant 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.”
Responding, the Commissioner for Health in Nasarawa State, Dr. Gaza Gwamna, acknowledged the challenges and reassured that the state government had begun implementing a welfare package for doctors.
He urged the remaining doctors to stay calm, affirming that the government was actively recruiting to fill the vacant positions.
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