The Federal Capital Territory Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has expressed its concern about the increasing number of locally sourced organ transplant centers in various parts of Nigeria, particularly for kidney transplants.
Dr. Charles Ugochukwu Ugwuanyi, the Chairman of NMA FCT, raised this issue during the opening ceremony of the NMA FCT Physicians Week. He pointed out that this proliferation is closely linked to rising poverty and ethical dilemmas within the medical profession.
The 2023 Physicians Week is themed “This is our Chance: To get it in the Health Sector,” with sub-themes including the “Abuja Declaration 22 years after” and “Ethical Issues in Human Organ Donation.”
Ugwuanyi emphasized that Physicians Week is a time for deep reflection and dialogue among medical professionals, as well as key stakeholders, including government authorities and the media. The goal is to enhance awareness and strengthen the six pillars of a functioning healthcare system in light of contemporary socio-political dynamics.
He mentioned the historical milestones in the medical field, such as the establishment of the first blood bank in 1937, the first human-to-human heart transplant in 1967, and the first artificial heart implanted in a patient in 1982.
Referring to the recent general elections and the subsequent changes in governance, he stated that their primary focus is to remind governments at all levels to uphold their campaign promises of strengthening the six pillars of a functional healthcare system. This is particularly important at the primary healthcare level, which is mainly managed at the local government level, considering that more than 60% of the country’s population resides there.
Ugwuanyi added, “It is our duty as physicians to constantly remind them of the need to strengthen the six core components of any decent healthcare system, including adequate financing, good governance/leadership, human capital development maintenance and retention, infrastructure development and maintenance, health information systems, access to essential medicines, vaccines, and decent healthcare delivery services at all levels in line with acceptable international standards.”
He stressed the importance of adhering to the Abuja 2001 AU Declarations on Health Sector Funding, which recommends allocating a minimum of 15% of the annual budget to the health sector. Ugwuanyi emphasized that this is a critical step in addressing the first two fundamental issues in building a functioning healthcare system: financing and clinical governance.
Ugwuanyi also pointed out that the poor funding of the health sector has been exacerbated by the migration of highly trained professionals, resulting in a significant economic loss for the country and reducing the doctor-patient ratio below WHO recommendations.
The most common solid organ transplant in Nigeria is the kidney, which has seen an increase in cases due to factors like economic hardship, over-the-counter analgesic abuse, and substance misuse. Consequently, there has been a surge in locally sourced organ transplant centres, particularly for kidneys, raising ethical concerns and the potential infringement on human dignity and rights protection.
The Chairman of the occasion, Hon Tanko Yusuf Sununu, who is the Minister of State for Education, mentioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s initiatives to improve the healthcare sector and highlighted the importance of collaboration among relevant stakeholders to help the federal government achieve its objectives of better healthcare for citizens.
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