Governor Alex Otti has approved a new salary structure for Abia State health workers, set to begin on May 1, 2025. The revised pay structure, named the Abia State Health Workers Salary Scale (ASHWOSS), brings state health workers’ earnings in line with their counterparts in federal health institutions. It covers professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, optometrists, medical laboratory scientists, and radiographers.
In a statement released by the Abia State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ogbonnaya Uche, it was announced that the government will also recruit 771 additional health workers across various specializations based on a needs assessment of health facilities and agencies.
Funds have been approved for the salaries of the new recruits, and the Ministry of Health has been tasked with negotiating a special incentive package to help attract and retain essential medical personnel.
The recruitment drive also targets specialists in key medical fields including laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, anesthesia and intensive care, transplant and robotic surgery, cardiac and neurosurgery, neonatology, as well as other critical areas such as interventional radiology, neurology, cardiology, nephrology, ophthalmology, oncology, orthopedics, and plastic surgery.
These initiatives come amid long-standing challenges in the state’s healthcare system, including unpaid salaries, inadequate infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled professionals. In response, the Otti administration has dedicated 15% of the state’s budget to the health sector to improve infrastructure, ensure consistent salary payments, and support professional development.
Source : https://nairametrics.com/
