FOLLOWING the mass exit of medical doctors from Kogi State Government Hospitals, Yahaya Bello, the state governor, said vacancies for doctors are now opened in the state.

Haruna Saka, Kogi commisioner for health disclosed this on Friday in Lokoja in reaction to the departure of some health workers from the state’s civil service under the administration of Bello in the past three years, NAN reported.

The state governor granted approval to the Governing Boards of Kogi State Hospitals Management Board (KSHMB) and Kogi Specialist Hospital, Lokoja (KSSH) to employ more doctors.

According to the Nigeria Medical Association, there were over 88 medical doctors who had left the state public service, in the three years’ administration of Bello. The situation made  NMA to  appeal  to the state government on Monday to fight the trend on health workers leaving Kogi state public service.

The NMA said the government could tackle the issue by addressing some situations which included:  the payment of outstanding salary arrears of doctors and other healthcare workers; implementation of the corrected CONMESS. The association also advised the government to issue out promotion and annual step increment.

The health commissioner, however, on Friday said that doctors left because they secured federal government jobs.

“It has been a recurring trend to see doctors leave state public service once federal government opportunity presents itself …,” he said.

Saka added that bulk of doctors who left had secured post graduate training in Federal Government’s teaching hospitals.

“Doctors who have intention of undergoing postgraduate training usually migrate towards federal service because till date, only very few states have the capacity to train resident doctors,” he explained.

The health commissioner concluded that new doctors to be employed would receive welfare packages which included interest free loan facilities to help the doctors acclimatize to the state.