President Bola Tinubu has approved an increase in the retirement age for doctors and other healthcare workers from 60 to 65 years.
The announcement was made by the National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Mannir Bature, in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
According to Bature, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has been directed to present the approval to the Council on Establishment through the Office of the Head of Service for finalization.
Pate disclosed this policy shift during a high-level meeting with NMA President, Prof. Bala Audu, and key stakeholders in the health sector, including the leadership of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, and the Joint Health Sector Unions.
Discussions at the meeting focused on improvements in the welfare of healthcare professionals. Pate confirmed that funds for arrears related to adjustments in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) had been secured, with disbursement set to begin soon.
He further stated that Tinubu approved the correction of consequential salary adjustments for both CONMESS and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), following the implementation of the new minimum wage. The process to effect these corrections is at an advanced stage.
Additionally, approval has been granted for implementing new tariffs for healthcare service providers, benefiting private medical practitioners and nurses under the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners and Nurses (ANPMPN).
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of healthcare workers and emphasized the importance of collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s health sector.
The NMA has long advocated for increasing the retirement age of health workers to 65 years to address brain drain, enhance knowledge transfer, and improve healthcare delivery. Various healthcare unions have also staged nationwide strikes over the non-implementation of CONMESS and CONHESS.
NAN
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