From Audu Joe, Lokoja
The Kogi state chapter of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has 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 in order to slow down brain drain syndrome that has gripped the profession because of harsh condition of service .
The state NMA chairman, Dr Omakoji Simeon Oyeguh made the call in Lokoja in his address to mark this year Physicians’ week, saying that the motivation of Doctors by the federal government, particularly the Resident Doctors will serve the nation better.
The kogi NMA also called on the Federal Government to deal with the issues in the Memoradum Of Understanding(MOU) that was signed with NMA very 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 expressed.
Dr Oyiguh added that the government should improve upon the work place of the Physicians and ensure sufficient infrastructure requisite for their time to be in place to encourage practitioners to be happy doing their work in this underdeveloped economy ravaged by Covid-19.
While the NMA commended Dr Olatunde Alabi, the MD of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja for the successful commissioning of the infrastructure for endoscopy at the Centre, the body looks forward to see more state of the art medical facilities that will be able to serve the people of the catchment area more effectively.
The NMA further solicited the support of the Federal Ministry of Health to FMC ,Lokoja by creating a better environment where the management can deliver more effective healthcare service to the people in the catchment area.
Equally, the NMA noted the efforts of governor Yahaya Bello over the gigantic structure of the Reference Hospital, Okene, saying 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 satisfied that the project,if 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.