From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Cross River State governor Professor Ben Ayade has approved the full implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salaries Structure for doctors in the state.
The wife is the governor, Dr. Linda Ayade, who disclosed this to journalists during a media briefing in Calabar on Thursday, said the decision of the government to fully implement CONMESS was to address the brain drain in the sector.
She said: “The exodus of doctors has always been there right from when I was a medical student. We should take one step forward at a time otherwise we will shoot ourselves in the foot .
“We are all involved in this problem and I believe we can collectively solve this problem. The problem in the health sector has always been there and is not getting solved rather the wounds are being deepened.
“What brings the solution is everyone taking the right step and collectively we will take a very big step forward”, she said.
Also speaking, the state commissioner for health, Dr. Betta Edu, said the governor approved 100% CONMESS to address the dearth of doctors in the state.
She said the government cut of bureaucracy in order to engage as many doctors as possible but regretted that when they have the slightest offer elsewhere they leave the system.
Dr. Innocent Abang, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, counted the state government for the 100% implementation of CONMESS.
He added that the state is taking the right step and this will help address the mass exodus of medical doctors from the state.