Nasarawa state govt partners NMA to curtail depression

GOV. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State on Friday says the state government is ready to partner with Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to curtail depression in the state.

Sule said this in Keffi Local Government Area of the state during the closing ceremony of the 2019 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the NMA, Nasarawa chapter.

The AGM and Scientific Conference had “Depression; A Growing Medical Challenge” as its theme.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Emmanuel Akabe, said that the partnership became imperative, “Given the alarming cases of depression as a result of either death of loved once, job, illness, among others.

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He added that depression could make people commit suicide, cause mental illness, drunkenness and other related activities, hence the need for government to provide enabling support to tackle the menace.

He explained that the partnership would assist the state government toward achieving quality healthcare intervention to the people.

The governor commended members of the association “for the hard work, in spite of heavy workload.”

He said that the government would continue to give priority to the welfare of doctors and other health practitioners by
improving their work environment for efficiency and effective service delivery.

Sule said that the government had revived the moribund drug revolving fund scheme at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia and had equipped and furnished the newly constructed extension at the hospital.

According to him, the extension has offices and other facilities that will improve service delivery and create enabling the working environment.

He disclosed that the government attracted over N2 billion to the state through the save-one-million-lives programme.

Earlier, Mr Francis Adedayo, the National President of NMA, represented by Kennett Tijjo, the National Vice President of the association, said that the NMA had been working hard to unite unions in the health sector.

He said that unity in the health sector would assist in improving services.

Mr Bulus Umar, the NMA Chairman in Nasarawa State, said the association would continue to support the government toward achieving better healthcare.

He said many patients report daily to various hospitals in the state with depression cases.

Umar added that the association would do its best to curtail depression just as it had assisted in the implementation of the state’s health insurance scheme.

The NMA chairman, however, appealed to the state government to look into issues affecting NMA members such as
heavy taxation, non-payment of promotion arrears, among others.