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The Guardian reporter wins award

By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin
31 December 2009   |   4:58 am
THE editorial representative of The Guardian Newspapers in Edo State, Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, recently emerged as the best Health Reporter (Print) of the year 2009 at the maiden award and luncheon night organised by the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). He emerged winner of the award ahead of Fidelis Soriwei of The Punch Newspapers, Cajetine Mmuta of the Nigerian Compass and Isaac Olamikan of the Niger Delta Standard. At the ceremony, which also featured a special launch for the completion of the secretariat of the association at its permanent site in Benin, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said his administration was working out modalities to ensure that doctors in the state benefit from the recently approved Consolidated Salary Structure for medical doctors in public health institutions across the country.

He said that the scheme had been built into the state’s 2010 budget proposal currently before the state’s House of Assembly.

Oshiomhole said that his administration was aware of the challenges facing public health institutions in the state and as a result, the state government had voted N500 million to improve the state of facilities in hospitals across the state.

He, however, reminded the doctors of their civic obligations to the government by prompt payment of their taxes, which he said government would in turn use to create a conducive environment for them to practice.

“Most doctors are working under terrible conditions. Last month, we gave out contracts for the renovation of a number of medical centres across the three senatorial districts.

“In our tour of health facilities across the state, we found health centres that were overgrown with weeds, while some of the buildings are without roofs and windows.”

In his address at the ceremony, the state Chairman of the association, Osahon Enabulele, said that the association discovered that there were many doctors in rural areas in the state that were going out of their way to give adequate healthcare to the people even in the absence of basic facilities just as he commended the governor for the efforts his administration had put in place to revive public health in the state.

He said that such gesture would in addition to the welfare packages for them “will go a long way towards ensuring job satisfaction and increased job productivity.”

Chairman of the local organising committee of the event, Ambrose Lawani, commended senior members of the association for their support for the ceremony, just as he added that the awardees emerged purely on merit.

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