Eje Dekina Lights Up NMA Scientific Conference, as Doctors Call on Govt to Halt Brain Drain

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The Acting Chairman Igala Area Traditional Council of Chiefs, Dr Usman Obaje added colour and royalty to this year’s Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference in Lokoja with royal blessing on doctors in the cause of their service to humanity.

The revered monarch, who is also the Eje Dekina, led other high ranking monarch from the Eastern axis of Kogi state to the venue of the conference, he prayed to Almighty God and invoked the gods and goddesses of the land during the traditional ritual of kola breaking prayers to give life to the serving doctors of the land.

In tandem with this year theme of the NMA Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference: “The Deteriorating Security Situation In Nigeria: Implications For Healthcare Delivery”, the royal father called for a strong synergy of security agencies with the traditional institution for effective and efficient service delivery in the war against criminals in the society.

Dr Obaje, who is a retired security officer of immense experience, said security is everybody’s business, urging everyone to be conscious of the happenings in the neighbourhoods and report to the security agents immediately for action so as to nip whatever in the offing in the bud.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kogi State chapter, has appealed to the Federal Government to give utmost priority to doctors’ welfare to minimise the brain drain syndrome that has bedevilled the profession because of poor condition of service.

According to the state Chairman of NMA, Dr Omakoji Oyiguh, there is a need to ensure good working environment for doctors with better standard of living and quality of life in this country.

He said the plight of the resident doctors is becoming worrisome and need urgent attention to stop the incident of brain drain that has gripped the best and experience hands in the profession.

“Our association has a role to protect the public in the access to quality healthcare delivery. But it is clearly not in the public interest and national security for the federal government to continue to create the environment for continuous brain drain as resident doctors continue to be frustrated by the federal government to deliver on training and service,” he said.

He added that “it is not politically correct to employ doctors as federal government and again lack the capacity to institute the process for their payment in a manner that resident doctors are employed and not paid for several months on the job.

“NMA in Kogi will continue to support any effort to ensure that resident doctors are treated properly.”

Dr Oyeguh commended the management of Federal Medical Centre Lokoja (FMCL) for helping to improve service delivery and ensure good working environment for doctors, particularly the resident doctors in the centre.

Equally, Dr Oyiguh commended Governor Yahaya Bello for giving approval for the implementation of Revised CONMESS 2014 for the state doctors, noting that it had exited Kogi from the list of states having such welfare issues with their doctors.

While he lamented the increasing menace of kidnapping of medical doctors in the state recently, he urged all to be more proactive in community policing, especially by providing actionable intelligence reports to the security agencies.

However, while speaking on the deteriorating security situation in the country, the Deputy Director Operations and Intelligence, Department of State Service (DSS), Kogi State, Mr C.U. Ahanatu appealed to members of the public to minimise their social media activities, relationship with people and increase response to incidents.

He stated that the security agents are equal to the task and they are ready to hit the criminals harder if they refuse to  desist from their nefarious activities, stressing that the recent upsurge in the kidnapping activities was just a mere flash in the pan that has been put under control.

He added that intelligence report posited that despite the seemingly fragile security situation in Kogi, the state is still below the ladder of hot states with precarious incidents.


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