President Bola Tinubu has approved an increase in the retirement age for medical doctors and other healthcare professionals in Nigeria, raising it from 60 to 65 years.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Mannir Bature, announced this in a statement late Wednesday.
He explained that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has been instructed to present the approval to the Council on Establishment through the Office of the Head of Service for final confirmation.
Bature stated that the decision was communicated by Prof. Pate during a high-level meeting with NMA President, Prof. Bala Audu, and key stakeholders in the health sector.
The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
Discussions during the meeting focused on the welfare of doctors and other healthcare professionals. Prof. Pate confirmed that the backlog of payments arising from adjustments to the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) has been secured, and disbursement to beneficiaries will commence soon.
Additionally, President Tinubu has approved the correction of consequential adjustments for both CONMESS and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which resulted from the implementation of the new minimum wage. Bature noted that the process for this correction is at an advanced stage and will provide much-needed relief to healthcare workers.
He further revealed that, following a review initiated by the NMA, approval has been granted for the implementation of new tariffs for healthcare service providers. This is expected to benefit members of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners and Nurses (ANPMPN), ensuring better financial remuneration and sustainability for healthcare services across the country.
Prof. Pate expressed gratitude for the patience and cooperation of all stakeholders and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the welfare of healthcare workers. He also stressed the importance of collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Participants at the meeting renewed their commitment to advocating for the welfare of healthcare workers and ensuring the successful implementation of key reforms in the sector.
Before now, the NMA has long pushed for increasing the retirement age of healthcare workers as a means of addressing brain drain, improving knowledge transfer, and enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery.
Additionally, nationwide strikes have been staged by various healthcare unions due to delays in implementing the revised salary structures under CONMESS and CONHESS.
With this new approval, it is expected that tensions within the sector will ease, leading to improved conditions for medical professionals across Nigeria.
