Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MEDCAN), has said it would take back their services at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka, due to the government’s inability to increase their salary.
The association sets October 23, 2025 for the deadline for their demands to be meant.
Chairman of MEDCAN in the hospital, Dr Amaechi Nwachukwu, at a press briefing in Awka, said that the members of the association reached the decision following the failure of the state government to adjust their salary scale when it adjusted that of the resident doctors recently.
Nwachukwu said that they are the specialists who train the resident doctors in the hospital and would not accept the fact that some of their trainees now earn higher salaries than them.
“Recently, Mr Governor graciously placed resident doctors on the proper salary scale, the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) 2024, which is the standard salary scale enjoyed by all doctors across Nigeria,
“He also approved the payment of their Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), a fund to support their training as approved by the federal government.
“Recall that any payment to resident doctors in the health sector is automatically extended to their bosses, the consultants, in the same teaching hospital, as they are the heads of all doctors working there.
“However, despite our loyalty and diplomatic approach to issues, we were disappointed to note that we were excluded from the proper placement after September salaries were paid. We are left confused on how there are two different salary structures for doctors working in the same place.
“Prior to this anomaly, we paid a courtesy visit to the hospital management and called the Commissioner for Health, informing them that we were aware of the strike by the resident doctors, but would continue to promote dialogue as a way of resolving issues.
“We requested that whatever was given to the resident doctors be extended to us, as has been the practice. It was pleasing that their responses were positive, given their knowledge of the teaching hospital system and being products of the same,” Nwachukwu added.