The Chairman of Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area of Lagos, Fuad Atanda-Lawal, has approved a 100% pay raise for the medical doctors attached to all the primary health centres in the council, as part of efforts to checkmate the mass exodus of health workers.
Atanda-Lawal announced this on Thursday after extensive deliberations on the need to ensure that all residents in the council had access to comprehensive, quality and affordable health care.
He explained that the increment would take effect from February 2024, adding that the decision followed the need to address the brain drain currently plaguing the nation’s health sector.
Atanda-Lawa added, “This is coming on the heels of the commencement of the construction of a state-of-the-art primary health centre that will cater for a larger number of people in the community.
“I want to reiterate the council’s commitment to supporting the efforts of our esteemed President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and Governor Babajide Sanwolu in delivering quality and affordable health care to all citizens.
“We believe that by investing in our health care professionals, we are taking a step towards achieving this goal,” the chairman said.
Atanda-Lawal further noted that Nigeria is blessed with doctors who could compete with their peers globally if given the necessary incentives.
In January, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Eniayewun Ademuyiwa, decried the fact that government-owned hospitals were becoming overstretched due to the mass emigration of health workers abroad for greener pastures.
According to him, the acute shortage of manpower in some of the federal facilities had increased the number of patients being admitted to state hospitals across Lagos.
