The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has revealed that native doctors would soon be running hospitals in the country due to the neglect and decay of the nation’s health system over the years.
According to the NMA, government at all levels has failed in their responsibility of providing quality and affordable healthcare for the citizens, adding that the development has encouraged the proliferation of quacks and massive brain drain being witnessed in the sector.
The NMA chairman in Ekiti state, Dr Rosiji Babatunde, and Secretary, Dr Moses Dada made these known in a communique signed and released after the 26th Annual General Meeting of the branch at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital with the theme, ‘ Medical Legislation: The Need for Inclusiveness in Achieving Stability in the Health Industry.’
Babatunde explained that their demands and that of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and other associations in the sector, if implemented, would help in revamping the help sector for the overall interest of the nation and end medical tourism.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to be deliberate in his efforts at improving and developing the healthcare system in the country by taking the tough but necessary decisions with increased budgetary provisions and investment and the provision of enabling environment for medical workers to thrive and give their best to the patients.
Specifically, he advised the president to declare state of emergency on health across the country “and do the needful by providing a conducive environment which is good enough to endear our health professionals and retain them in the country.”
The NMA chairman said, ” The safest thing to do is to develop our health sector to the point that all (mighty and commoners) will be able to access healthcare at the nearest point possible.
” Like I previously said, if nothing deliberate is done to rescue the health sector, native doctors will soon start running our hospitals! The neglect of the health sector is already leading to the proliferation of quacks who are now even brazenly parading themselves as doctors and even conducting graduations to induct their apprentices to the ‘Medical Profession’. If this is allowed to continue, the nation will be the sore loser!
” Now that ‘fuel subsidy is gone’, we expect the Governments at all levels to now, as a matter of duty, devote at least 15% of the annual budget to health as stated in the Abuja Declaration, that will be an initial step to show commitment to the growth of the health sector on the part of all tiers of Government.
” The Government is urged to declare a state of emergency on health and do the needful by providing a conducive environment which is good enough to endear our health professionals and retain them in the country.
On the fuel subsidy removal, the NMA, while commending the federal government for the decision, however, lamented the delay in the rolling out of palliatives saying this has caused more damage to the health system in the country.
” The AGM identified with the need to remove subsidy on petroleum products which is for the overall good of our Nation as we cannot as a nation continue to shoulder the economic burden of other countries but also frowned at the delay by the FG in rolling out palliatives to match the level of suffering of average Nigerians.
” The AGM observed that the subsidy removal coupled with the declining value of the naira has led to an astronomical increase in the cost of drugs and medical consumables. This, coupled with the prohibitive cost of transportation is threatening delivery of qualitative health services as it is becoming increasingly difficult for health workers to commute daily to the hospitals and to keep medical services running uninterruptedly. Patients are now presenting very late to the hospital. The long term effects of these are better imagined! “
He commended the state governor, Biodun Oyebanji for the palliatives approved for workers in the health sector in the state, adding that, ” it is our expectation that the same gesture will be extended to our colleagues working in Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH ) and the Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA).
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