BY PETER OKUTU
AS a way of providing lasting solution to the clamour by the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Ebonyi State chapter, for implementation of the new salary structure for its members, a 14-man committee was on Monday inaugurated by the state government.

Inaugurating the committee which has in its fold medical experts, technocrats and   administrators in Abakaliki, state Commissioner for Health and Environment, Dr. Sunday Nwangele, expressed optimism that with the committee now in place, the issue of salary disparity among medical doctors in the state would soon be a thing of the past.

He urged the committee members to bring to bare their wealth of experience in the task ahead, adding that the state government would make available the necessary logistics needed for the completion of the assignment.

According to Nwangele, the state government is resolute in bringing to an end the continuous labour crisis which intended to play down it’s enormous contributions to the health sector.

In his words:  “The government of Ebonyi State has listened to medical doctors on the issue of CONMESS and CONHESS which are the matter of the moment.

“It has deemed it necessary to constitute this high-powered committee to handle the new salary structure in the health sector.”

“We consider it right that this committee would look at the document and compute appropriately the financial implication of this salary structure in liaison with our state technocrats: retired Permanent Secretaries, representatives of the state audit, Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Health; also taking into cognizance the budgetary provision of the health sector and make appropriate recommendations to the state government for further directive.

“As you go into work, do it in the spirit of solution finding and feel free to co-opt other members. So, with the blessing of the state government, I hereby inaugurate this committee to the glory of God.” He added.

In a remark, chairman of the committee, which has three weeks to turn in its report, Dr. Chester Onorah, thanked the state government for finding the committee members fit to handle the task ahead of them.

He gave assurance that they would handle their assignment with the urgency it required, adding that their recommendations would put to an end the long agitations within the health sector.