Doctors, nurses and community health extension workers engaged under the federal government’s Expanded Midwives Service Scheme (eMSS) are expressing frustration over unpaid salaries despite repeated assurances from authorities.
The healthcare workers lamented the continued neglect and failure to address their plight, even after promises that their issues would be prioritised. Some alleged being owed up to six months of salary arrears by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and Sydani Group, the private partner managing the eMSS program.
While some alleged that the NPHCDA owed them up to six months of salary, others claimed to be owed two, three and four months, respectively.
Many of them told our sources that they were redeployed to rural areas, far from their homes, leaving behind loved ones and dependants. They lamented that they struggle to make ends meet, with little or no pay coming in. While noting that they are doing their best to serve the communities and by extension, Nigeria, the health workers said the lack of resources and support from the government has made their jobs difficult.
The situation has left many of these frontline workers stranded in rural areas far from their homes and loved ones, struggling to make ends meet. They expressed concern that the delayed payments are negatively impacting their ability to provide quality care to patients.
Despite previous commitments from NPHCDA officials to resolve the matter, the healthcare workers reported that salaries remained unpaid as of recently. The NPHCDA’s communications adviser acknowledged efforts are ongoing to clear the backlog of arrears under the new agency leadership.
The eMSS program, supported by the World Health Organization, aims to improve maternal and child health outcomes in underserved communities. However, the unpaid wages have made it challenging for the deployed workers to achieve this goal effectively.
Upon inquiry, the communications advisor for NPHCDA acknowledged ongoing efforts by the new agency leadership to resolve the backlog of arrears.