The Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria has expressed dissatisfaction at its exclusion from a recent meeting between the Federal Government and unions in the health care sector. The National Chairman of the group, Dr Kingsley Amibor, in a statement on Wednesday, said AHAPN was being sidelined from discussions bordering on the welfare of medical doctors in the country.
Some of the issues AHAPN wants the government to resolve are, adjustments to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, payment of arrears of call duty relativity, payment of COVID-19 hazard allowance and non-availability of personal protective equipment for pharmacists and other health care workers.
Amibor said their salary arrears for April and May 2018 were withheld and all the protracted issues had affected the morale of pharmacists in the discharge of their duties to millions of Nigerians.
“We call upon the government to release these arrears since they were captured in the 2020 Budget.
“The government should also provide adequate PPEs for pharmacists and other health care workers who are on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic control efforts and the decision of paying enhanced hazard allowance to health care workers since March 2020 should be honored,” he said.
source: Punch