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By Doris Obinna
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Lagos Chapter, has expressed concerns over the state of the healthcare system in the country.
According to the association, the Nigerian healthcare system is still plagued by strikes, unhealthy professional rivalry, inadequate facilities, and poor working conditions, among others, 62 years after independence.
In a statement signed by the NMA chairman, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, on Saturday, he group lamented that the country still does not have the healthcare management system being dreamt of.
While tasking the Lagos State government to prioritise local and foreign training of doctors and other health care personnel, he noted that this would further stem the exodus of doctors and other health care personnel to foreign lands.
He said: “A critical examination of our current healthcare management system does not make for a pleasant prognosis. It is even more worrisome that the present stochastic services have encouraged unprecedented brain drain. Many healthcare practitioners are religiously seeking greener pastures in climes where things work, where they can get better remuneration and fulfill their God-given aspirations.
“In the light of the crippling challenges confronting the healthcare system, we, the current executive at NMA in Lagos zone, are determined to ensure that the labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain. To this end, it is our firm belief that our three-pronged focal agenda on the Lagos doctor, Lagosians and Lagos healthcare system will move the needle in creating a system that works for everyone.
“The import of this tripartite trajectory is that the welfare of Lagos doctors would be top-notch and reasonably encouraging enough to keep their services, the Lagos people would be the cardinal focus of Lagos healthcare system, there will be patriotic advocacy for the improvement of Lagos healthcare system through various public-private partnerships, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas.
“The state government should immediately revitalise and improve all the primary healthcare centres in the state. This will bring quality healthcare to the average Lagosian,even on the outskirts of Lagos.”
