The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Edo State Chapter, on Thursday said it would rally all relevant stakeholders in the state’s health sector and the government to end the chronic shortage of medical personnel in the state’s health sector.
The Edo State Chairman of NMA, Dr Imoisili Udoka, who gave the assurance while unveiling the newly elected executives members of the body in Benin City, admitted that there were a plethora of challenges besetting the health sector in the nation and in the state, adding the government alone could not tackle the problems and sued for the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to tackle the challenges.
“We have recognized that there are a plethora of challenges facing the doctors and the health care sector in Edo State and the nation at large.
“The government of Edo State ably led by His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, is doing his best to solve them but unilateral initiatives by one arm will not sufficiently handle the mountainous challenges before the health sector.
“It is therefore time for Edo NMA to effectively synergize and collaborate with all stakeholders to proffer lasting solutions.
“We are ready to collaborate with all stakeholders to work out action plans to ensure the elimination of these challenges; viz: quackery, brain drain, inequitable distribution of health care facilities and the chronic shortage of medical personnel in our health sector, inadequate health information, poor sanitation/refuse disposal system, ravaging preventable diseases, etcetera”, she said.
Dr Udoka added that the state NMA under her watch would also initiate a collaboration with other health professionals that would help foster a conducive working environment and stem health sector rivalry.
She specifically zeroed in on the issue of quackery in the health profession and assured that the association, under her leadership, “shall endeavour to see to the reactivation and final passing of the Anti-quackery bill that was brought before the Edo State House of Assembly by the Dr Osaho Enabulele-led 2008-2010 State NMA”.
Udoka further appealed to the appropriate authorities in the state to make the environment friendly for doctors to practice in other to stem brain drain, just as she admonished the authorities to do all in their powers to end obnoxious taxes, incessant/unexplainable charges on their members (doctors) to enhance the economic frontiers of the doctors and other health professionals.
While decrying the dearth of manpower in the state health sector, she maintained that a situation whereby few nurses and one medical doctor would be manning a secondary health facility should be banished to the dustbin of history.
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Edo NMA promises to tackle the shortage of medical personnel in health sector
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