By John Obi
The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti has approved a new salary scale for Abia health workers. Known as Abia State Health Workers Salary Scale (ASHWOSS), the new scale is with effect from May 1.
In a statement on Wednesday in Umuahia,,the state capital , the Health Commissioner, Prof Ogbonnaya Uche said the new Abia salary scale is in line with the federal salary structure for health workers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, optometrists, physiotherapists, medical laboratory scientists, and radiographers.
“This means that Abia Health workers with effect from May 1st 2025 will begin to enjoy the same pay as their federal government counterparts.
“Abia will also recruit 771 new health workers including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical lab scientists, physiotherapists , radiographers, and other categories of healthcare workers.
“This number was based on the result of needs assessment performed across the health facilities and agencies of the Ministry of Health,” he said.
The Commissioner said that the government has also approved the release of funds to cover the emolument of the 771 new staff to be recruited into the healthcare workforce.
He noted that the governor had directed the ministry to negotiate a special emolument package to attract and retain critical human resources for the health sector in the state.
According to him,the required hands included consultants and specialists in critical medical fields.including laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, anaesthesia and intensive care, transplant and robotic surgery, cardiac and neurosurgery and neonatology.
“Other areas requiring specialists include:interventional (radiology, neurology, cardiology and nephrology) ophthalmology, oncology, orthopaedics and plastic surgery on a case by case basis as may be applicable.”
Uche said all the approvals would take effect from May 1.
