Federal Government has approved a 600 per cent increment in hazard allowance for senior health workers and 350 per cent for their junior counterparts.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, made the disclosure in Abuja after a meeting between the Federal Government and representatives of professional bodies and unions in the health sector.

The meeting, which held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa Abuja, deliberated on hazard allowance and retirement age for health workers in government health establishments.

On resolutions of the gathering, Ngige said the Federal Government had reviewed upward the N5,000 monthly hazard allowance for health workers.

According to him, the government team, led by Minister of State for Budget and Planning, Clem Agba, gave a counter-offer to the earlier submissions of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and affiliate associations, as well as the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).

He said: “The government side gave them that offer based on the reality that we have on the ground, that the economy is not doing very well, but the capital component of the budget is being funded on borrowing. Earnings of government have also drastically gone down,” Agba added.

Ngige also hinted that the Federal Government had agreed, in principle, to increase the retirement age of doctors and other health workers from 60 to 65 years and 70 years for consultants.

Others, who attended the parley from the government side, include Minister of Health, Osagie Enahire, Ministers of State, Olorunimbe Mamora (Health), Clems Agba (Budget and Planning) and Festus Keyamo (Labour and Employment).

Permanent Secretary in the Health Ministry, Abdulaziz Abdulahi and his Labour and Employment counterpart, Peter Yerima Tarfa, were also at the gathering.

The Guardian