A past President of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Omede Idris, has applauded the Federal Government for restoring funding to medical and health regulatory bodies and councils, as well as the government plans to issue Executive Order to accelerate local manufacture of pharmaceutical and health consumables.
Dr Omede, a past President of Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), said the recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) resolution to issue an Executive Order to urgently address the consequences and impact of the exit of some multi national pharmaceutical companies from Nigeria is most welcomed.
In a statement on Thursday, Dr. Omede observed that the attendant scarcity of basic and life saving drugs, commodities, consumable, life saving medicines and the escalation of prices of the few products available are quite unimaginable.
“The expectation of the quick decision, action and intervention are necessary in the face of many daunting human and economic challenges, being faced by the people and the nation. The Executive Order must address enabling work environment for production, exorbitant cost of production, raw materials, energy, power, cost of engaging human resources and tax amongst others.
“These bottleneck have persistently led to gradual despondency and loss of steam in capacity and production. We witnessed this in the textile industries and automobile in the 80s. That industry is yet to recover. Expectedly, the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President has this and many other similar situations in mind in coining the agenda. May he succeed,” he prayed.
Dr Omede Idris, a former Commissioner of Health in Kogi state equally applauded the FG for restoring the funding of 13 medical and health regulatory councils, including the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
This, according to him, is for the overall benefit of the people and the system.
Dr Omede, who ran as Deputy Governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 Kogi governorship election, observed that the untoward consequences of doing otherwise on the side of the medical and health professionals, the consumers, patients or clients as the case might be, would have be disastrous and chaotic.
He said quacks in the medical and health professions, are a great hazard and constitute a large chunk of persons, causing a huge havoc to ignorant, gullible and in some instances apparently civilized and educated persons in the society.
He called on the regulatory councils to be up and doing in their responsibilities to continually earn the confidence of the people and government.
In a similar view, Dr Omede called on the law enforcement agents though overwhelmed with expectations to take headlong the quacks in the professions and thus handled and treated as criminal in appropriate jurisdiction.
He appealed to the government to engage more youths and persons in security work to match the population and increasing security demands and expectations.
On the recent explosion in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, the former Health Commissioner lamented on the negligence in many quarters by government, its agencies and the people in safety checks.
“This may include not abiding to the guidelines for storage and disposal of explosive used for mining and other purposes,” he explained.
Nonetheless, he appreciated the Federal Government, Oyo state government, agencies of government, the people and the members of Nigerian Medical Association and the health team for standing up promptly to the challenges to minimize human losses.
He appealed that investigation into the incidence must not spare any person or group found wanting, to serve as deterrent and avert future occurrence.
On the wave of the security challenges in some area of the country, particularly that of Bwari area council of FCT recently, he called on the area council, FCT and the FG to nib it quickly to avoid spreads.
He commended the efforts of the government, security agencies and people so far while empathizing with the affected families and communities.
