Time to address the fate of medical assistants in Yobe

It is unfortunate and sad that the agreement signed by the Hospitals Management Board (HMB) with about 218 trained medical assistants, has remained unfulfilled after three years.  These critical frontline workers are still on the casual status and less paid. These personnel must be offered permanent and pensionable appointments. Eight years is a long time […]

It is unfortunate and sad that the agreement signed by the Hospitals Management Board (HMB) with about 218 trained medical assistants, has remained unfulfilled after three years. 

These critical frontline workers are still on the casual status and less paid. These personnel must be offered permanent and pensionable appointments. Eight years is a long time to wait. Governor Buni, please act now!

The 218 trained medical assistants have cried out to the management board of the hospital about the agreement, but several silly excuses have been given to them with no standard reasons to assure them of having the agreement fulfilled. 

The hospital’s management board pays them only N18,000 per month as practical allowance, but they continue to work without the board completing their agreement.

The management board of the hospital kept giving an excuse to the medical assistants that the file of the agreement had not yet reached the governor. 

The question to ask is whether the management board of the hospital tried to contact him during all those years without reaching him. Did the Ministry of Health know about the agreement and even the payment made to those medical assistants? Or does the management keep it within itself? It is time for the Yobe state government pays more attention to issues concerning health.

The state governor should set up a panel to investigate the matter. If he already knows about their complaint then it is time to take action and give them permanent space as it was signed as an agreement.

In conclusion, the Yobe State government should have to look into the management of the board and how it is making agreements within the hospitals.

The effect of not adhering to such agreements may indicate the level of the state’s poor level of handling health issues.  The Yobe State governor has to focus more on restructuring the health system.

Kasim Isa Muhammad wrote from Potiskum, Yobe State