According to a circular issued by the government, the salaries of these retired health personnel upon re-engagement will remain the same as their pre-retirement earnings.
In a circular dated October 5, 2023, addressed to Chief Executive Agencies, Chief Medical Directors, Medical Directors, and Heads of Regulatory Bodies and Schools, the Ministry of Health urged strict compliance with an earlier circular issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to all staff in their respective institutions.
The circular, signed by Olufemi Oloruntoba, the Permanent Secretary of the Service Policies and Strategies Office, on behalf of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, mentioned a memorandum presented during the 44th National Council on Establishment held in Yola, Adamawa State, from December 5th to 9th, 2022.
This memorandum had requested a review of the retirement age for Medical/Dental Consultants and other health professionals, proposing an increase from 60 to 70 and 75, respectively.
The statement reads, “After careful consideration of the memorandum, the council rejected the request based on the following:
“Professionals in the health sector were leaving the country because of pecuniary consideration and unfavourable conditions of service and not as a result of retirement age;
“Some state government had already increased the retirement age of medical doctors and other health workers and this has not addressed the spate of brain drain.”
Also, it said it was dissatisfied with health workers’ attitude to work, noting that in spite of efforts by the government to encourage health workers, the exodus of health workers had not abated.
