Hope for Bauchi Hospitals as State Approves New Health Worker Pay
The Bauchi State Government has approved a new salary structure and welfare package aimed at attracting and retaining medical doctors and health workers, in a move to tackle the growing shortage of manpower in the state’s healthcare system.
The announcement was made by the Head of Service, Mohammed Umar, while briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting held on Friday in Bauchi.
According to Umar, the new package includes the implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), in addition to a range of welfare incentives.
These measures, he said, are designed to make Bauchi more competitive in retaining healthcare professionals.
“The Council has approved a comprehensive salary and welfare package to address the growing exodus of doctors and other frontline health workers from the state,” he said.
Governor Bala Mohammed, he noted, expressed deep concern over the rate at which doctors and midwives were leaving the state, prompting the government to establish a committee to investigate the root causes of the attrition.
The committee’s findings revealed that poor remuneration and welfare provisions were key drivers behind the workforce depletion.
In response, the state government’s new policy will also provide housing and car loans, allowances for rural postings, and improved security around health facilities.
Other components of the package include the enhancement of working equipment, construction of perimeter fencing at health institutions, and improved welfare for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members posted to health facilities.
The plan also addresses longstanding issues relating to promotion, advancement, and pre-service training of medical personnel.
A special committee will be inaugurated to oversee the implementation of the new structure and ensure its smooth rollout across the sector.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sani Dambam, commended the governor’s commitment to the healthcare sector, noting that since declaring a state of emergency in the sector, the administration had made substantial investments in infrastructure, personnel, and policy reform.
“The governor convened the first health summit in northern Nigeria, developed the ‘My Bauchi Project’ blueprint, consistently allocated 15% of the state budget to health, and lifted the embargo on recruitment,” Dambam said.
He added that the new package would help bring state-employed doctors closer to parity with their counterparts in federal institutions and is expected to have a transformative impact on healthcare delivery in Bauchi.
“With improved human resource capacity and better incentives, we are optimistic that the healthcare system in Bauchi will experience a major boost in both quality and reach,” he said.
