The Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association, Ogun State, Dr Luqman Ogunjimi, on Tuesday called on the state government to ensure a cut in the tax deducted from the monthly emoluments of the doctors working with government establishments in the state.
Ogunjimi declared that one of the ways to ensure that the few doctors in the state stay behind to serve the populace is by heeding the doctors’ call for the government to look at reducing the amount of money deducted monthly as taxes from their emoluments.
The NMA chairman praised the state government for finally approving the doctors’ demands that they should also be paid according to their counterparts working with the federal government, just like other states have also done.
He was, however, quick to say that the tax being deducted is hurting, and it is already a source of worry to the doctors working with the government in the state.
Ogunjimi disclosed this at a press briefing held on Tuesday at the NMA secretariat, Abeokuta, the state capital to kick off the association’s 2025 Annual General Meeting, which runs from August 3 to 9 with the theme “Leveraging On Technology To Drive Medical Practice In The Era Of Dwindling Medical Personnel”.
He explained that “It took more than 16 months of agitation for the government to implement the request that the doctors in the state should be paid according to their counterparts working with federal government establishments and other states.
“But between this period, we have what we call internal brain drain, like some doctors moving to other states or picking up jobs with Federal Government health institutions because the pay is better.
Now that the government has implemented this demand, we have equally found out that the tax we are paying is on the higher side.
“We are hereby calling on the government to grant us a tax rebate just like has been done by other states for healthcare workers.
This is one thing that could also encourage the healthcare workers to stay back and keep serving the people. We are not saying that we aren’t going to pay tax, but what is being taken from our salaries is simply too much, and this challenge is also affecting people who are willing to stay behind and work”.
The association also begged Gov Dapo Abiodun to look into the issue of consequential adjustments for the medical doctors in line with the implementation of the new minimum wage, as well as the need to address concerns of the workers over the contributory pension scheme which is making the future of every government workers in the state to look so bleak and uncertain.
Ogunjimi thanked the state government for payment of the medical residency training fund for the year 2024 and 2025 for doctors working with Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, payment of the clinical duty allowance for the honorary consultants, as well as payment of a court allowance, among others.
He said that the issue of remuneration for clinical lecturers in the university is still a challenge that should be addressed without further delay.
The NMA also called on the government to resolve the administrative aspect of ensuring that their members, who are supposed to be on CONMESS 3, which is the starting or entry point as agreed by NNA, are implemented.
Ogunjimi added that although it may be far from expectations but there are still up to 1000 doctors in both the employment of the state and federal government who are serving the residents of the state, and that these medical personnel remained committed to serving the people, provided that they were not frustrated by the government.
The NMA, however, regretted the frequent cases of assault and intimidation of doctors in the state, saying that the association will not hesitate to take some drastic and appropriate action against anyone or group found culpable.
The association also reiterated its unwavering commitment to enhancing the well-being and welfare of its members to enhance productivity and further encourage them to keep serving humanity.
