Medical doctors under the auspices of the Nigerian Medical Association have urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on health with a view to addressing the sector’s problems to make it attractive to professionals.
The NMA Ekiti State Branch also called for the allocation of at least 15 per cent of the national budget to health as stipulated in the Abuja Declaration, saying such “will be an initial step to show commitment to the growth of the health sector on the part of all tiers of government”.
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These were contained in the communique at the end of the 26th Annual General Meeting of NMA Ekiti, with the theme, “Medical legislation: The need for inclusiveness in achieving stability in the Health industry”, made available in Ado Ekiti on Sunday.
In the communique signed by NMA State Chairman, Dr. Babatunde Rosiji, and Secretary, Dr. Moses Dada, the doctors charged President Bola Tinubu not to hesitate to take tough decisions to help him “jumpstart our ailing health sector”.
They stated, “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.
“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 brazenly parading themselves as doctors and even conducting graduations to induct their apprentices to the ‘medical professions’”.
The AGM called on the Federal Government to urgently address the rising cost of drugs and medical consumables “to prevent the cost of health services from becoming so prohibitive to the point of driving patients away from our hospitals.
“All efforts must be made to ensure universal coverage of citizens under the National Health Insurance Act. Efforts must also be made by the NHIA to review the drug tariff currently being operated to reflect current economic realities”.
The NMA, while lauding Ekiti State Government for rolling out palliatives that cut across all strata of people, called on other state governors “to emulate the governor of Ekiti State by providing well thought out palliatives to the masses”.
The NMA stated, “The approval by Governor Oyebanji of pay parity for clinical workers at the Hospitals’ Management Board will now help in attracting fresh hands to the HMB and this will better position the HMB for better service delivery.
“The AGM expressed confidence that the consequential adjustment of minimum wage and pay parity will equally be extended to our colleagues in Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital and Primary Health Care Development Agency,” the doctors said.