The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has urged the Bauchi State Government to review healthcare workers’ salaries and introduce internship and postgraduate medical training at the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, to curb the migration of doctors.
The association said better remuneration, improved working conditions and opportunities for career advancement were necessary to retain skilled medical personnel and strengthen healthcare delivery.
The NMA Bauchi State Branch made the demands on Monday during a press briefing to mark the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria”.
Presenting the address of the NMA National President, Prof Afekhide Ernest, the branch’s Vice Chairman, Dr Bello Abdullahi, said increasing workloads, inadequate infrastructure, insecurity, poor remuneration and professional burnout were among the challenges threatening the medical profession.
He said efforts to stop doctors from leaving Nigeria must go beyond appeals to patriotism, urging the government to create conditions that would enable medical professionals to build sustainable careers in the country.
According to him, competitive pay, professional dignity, security and career development opportunities are essential to retaining doctors.
Abdullahi also called for measures to protect physicians’ physical and mental health, including regular medical checks, adequate rest and confidential access to professional and psychological support.
He warned that attacks, threats and intimidation against medical personnel undermined healthcare delivery, insisting that hospitals must be safe for both workers and patients.
The NMA official also advocated brain-retention and brain-recirculation strategies, including structured collaborations with Nigerian doctors abroad to support research, knowledge-sharing and healthcare services at home.
While acknowledging the Bauchi State Government’s interventions in the health sector, the association said further action was needed to address the economic pressures and working conditions affecting medical personnel.
It commended Governor Bala Mohammed’s administration for implementing the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and Consolidated Health Salary Structure, renovating secondary health facilities and primary healthcare centres, and upgrading the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi.
The association also acknowledged the government’s commitment to completing doctors’ quarters at the NMA secretariat.
However, it urged the state to review healthcare workers’ salaries in line with the recently implemented PAT and the ongoing national Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
The NMA said the review would help address the movement of healthcare workers from state-owned facilities to federal tertiary hospitals within and outside Bauchi.
It described the introduction of internship and postgraduate medical training at the Specialist Hospital as a strategic step towards retaining doctors trained in the state.
The association said securing the future of medicine required functional healthcare infrastructure, safe workplaces, improved welfare and professional development opportunities, alongside measures to ensure Nigerians could access quality medical services regardless of their location or economic circumstances.
The NMA’s Physicians’ Week activities in Bauchi are scheduled to run from October 18 to 23, 2026, with prayers and other events planned across the state.
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