Medical doctors in Ogun State have appealed to the state government to provide tax rebates as a strategic measure to curb the growing exodus of healthcare professionals from the state.
The call was made on Tuesday by the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State chapter, Dr. Luqman Ogunjimi, during a press conference held at the association’s secretariat in Abeokuta. The briefing marked the commencement of the NMA’s Annual General Meeting, scheduled to run from August 3 to 9, with the theme: “Leveraging On Technology To Drive Medical Practice In The Era Of Dwindling Medical Personnel.”
Dr. Ogunjimi stressed that reducing the tax burden on government-employed doctors would go a long way in encouraging the few remaining medical professionals to stay and continue serving the public.
He acknowledged the state government’s efforts in aligning the remuneration of state-employed doctors with their counterparts in federal and other state institutions after 16 months of sustained agitation. However, he noted that the gains are being eroded by what he described as “excessive tax deductions.”
“We commend the government for finally approving our demand to be placed on the same salary scale as our colleagues in federal service,” Ogunjimi said. “But we have observed that the taxes deducted from our salaries are extremely high. We are not refusing to pay tax, but the burden is discouraging and undermining efforts to retain doctors in the state health system.”
He added that some states have already implemented tax rebates for healthcare workers, urging Ogun State to follow suit in the interest of public health and medical sustainability.
The NMA chairman reaffirmed the association’s commitment to improving the welfare of its members, which he said remains key to enhancing productivity and retaining skilled manpower in the face of a worsening brain drain crisis.
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