- Urges FG to Motivate Doctors to Slow Down Brain Drain
Kogi state chapter of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has commended Governor Yahaya Bello for the construction of a reference hospital in Okene.
The state NMA chairman, Dr Omakoji Simeon Oyiguh, gave the commendation on Tuesday in Lokoja in his address to mark this year Physicians’ Week.
He noted that the referral hospital is set to be completed and commissioned soon to address the health challenge of the needy.
However, the NMA stated that the body is looking forward for the government to develop capacity to employ and retain the appropriate cadre of healthcare professionals in their numbers in order to make the centre a world class hospital as intended and envisioned by the government.
In the same vein, the state NMA applauded the ongoing work at the Kogi State University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba, and certified that the project, when completed, will address the infrastructural requirements for the accreditation of the medical school in the institution.
“We wish to use this opportunity to call on our colleagues who are interested in academics to encourage the efforts of the Vice Chancellor and the Provost of the College of Health Sciences in the University by taking up employment,” he said.
While the NMA commended Dr Olatunde Alabi, the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja for the successful commissioning of endoscopy machine at the Centre, the body said it looks forward to see more state-of-the-art medical facilities that will serve the people of the catchment area more effectively.
The NMA, therefore, called on the Federal Ministry of Health to support the Managing Director of FMC Lokoja by creating a better environment where he can deliver more effective healthcare service to the people in the catchment area.
Oyiguh called on the Federal Government to show more concern for the young doctors in Nigeria and do all within its power to re-motivate them on order to slow down brain drain syndrome that has gripped the profession because of harsh condition of service.
Oyiguh said motivating doctors, particularly the resident doctors, will serve the nation better.
The association called on the Federal Government to deal with issues relating the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed with NMA dispassionately, in order to re-motivate the resident doctors to do their work for the benefit of the nation.
“We are looking forward to the year ahead that will demonstrate an improved and more responsive Federal Government that will improve health care delivery in Nigeria; while strengthening the health system, taming corruption and insecurity that have become twin devils in common place in the Nigeria polity that are about to consume our nation,” he said.
Dr Oyiguh added that government should improve on the work place of physicians and ensure sufficient infrastructure requisite for their time to be in place to encourage practitioners to be happy doing their work in an underdeveloped economy ravaged by Covid-19.
