By Abdullahi Tukur
The Kebbi State Govt. has approved the extension of the mandatory retirement age for medical and veterinary Doctors in the State Civil Service to 65 years.
Governor Nasiru Idris, stated this during the executive council meeting and made available to newsmen by the Commissioner for Establishment, Pension and Training, Auwal Manu Dogondaji.
He stated that, the new policy, the retirement age for these professionals has been increased from 60 to 65 years, while the length of service has been extended from 35 to 40 years.
According to him, the Council observed that the previous public service retirement policy, which mandated retirement age at 60, had led to the premature loss of highly skilled specialists, surgeons and consultants who are often at the peak of their clinical experience between the ages of 55 and 65.
He further explained that, the strategic intervention forms part of the State Government’s proactive measures to address persistent challenges in the health sector, including acute doctor shortages, the continued brain drain of medical professionals and workforce gaps resulting from retirements.
Expanding on the scope of the approval, the Commissioner emphasized that veterinary doctors are fully included in the new policy.
He added that, to ensure the highest standards of service delivery, the Council stipulated that retention beyond the age of 60 or 35 years of service shall be strictly subject to annual medical fitness certification and satisfactory performance appraisal.