Trainee pharmacists in Gombe State have lamented the poor remuneration in the state-owned health institutions.
They accused the state government of refusing to upgrade them from student benefactors to intern pharmacists despite a notification of appointment issued to them in 2019.
According to some of the interns, who spoke with SaharaReporters, they were being paid N20,000 monthly despite being overworked.
“The issue on implementation of our upgrade from student benefactors to intern pharmacists remain adamance despite our efforts to meet with government officials. It has been over a year or so since the resumption of some of us on duty but the Gombe State Government is yet to upgrade us and as such we are yet to be paid as intern pharmacists.
“It is worthy of note to let the public know that 90 per cent of work force in Pharmacy Department, State Specialist Hospital, Gombe, and Zainab Bulkachuwa Women and Children Hospital, Gombe, are done by intern pharmacists. With this setback from government, our members have totally lost zeal and morale to give out their best in health care services delivery,” one of them said.
