Doctors under the auspices of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State Branch have cried out saying nothing on ground reflects the political will to implement the few policies that may bring about impactful interventions to curb the Japa Syndrome. The Chairman of the NMA, Lagos State Branch, Dr Babajide Kehinde Saheed who raised the alarm in Lagos on Monday has however urged state governors to scale up the remuneration of medical and dental practitioners in their states with a view to ensuring all doctors working in Nigeria receive the same remuneration. While speaking at a press conference to herald the 2024 National Physician’s Week, which was held in Lagos on Monday, Dr Saheed said to curb the ‘Japa’ Syndrome, the remuneration of all the doctors in Nigeria should be the same no matter where they are working.
According to the chairman of NMA in Lagos, the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) should be the minimum wage for doctors in Nigeria. “Federal and state governments could engage in upward review that is commensurate with the cost of living in the country and the economic status of the states without waiting for NMA and its affiliates to agitate or result in industrial actions.” On how the challenge of poor remuneration and welfare of doctors can be tackled, Saheed said the NMA will work with the governor’s forum, adding that with the assistance and collaboration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, uniform remuneration for doctors in the country c.