The Governor of Delta State and vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and President of World Medical Association (WMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele, have said that improvement on emolument and working environment would reverse the prevailing brain-drain of medical personnel from the country.
In their separate remarks at the opening of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and leadership retreat in Asaba, last week, they expressed optimism that resolutions from the meeting, with the theme, ‘Doctors and Effective Leadership in the Health Sector,’ would also proffer more solutions to resolve the issue and others plaguing the medical profession and healthcare delivery.
Reacting to the request for replacement of medical workers who left for greener pastures abroad, Okowa said he had given approval to fill the vacancies, saying it is painful that people are leaving the country due to poor conditions, adding: “We cannot stop them, but the vacancies created by such exits should be filled. I have given the approval that they should be replaced, so that we don’t over-labour those left behind.
“Although we have achieved some milestones in health as a nation, the healthcare system of our country is beset with the current problem of brain-drain.
“It is worrisome that our medical doctors who are expected to provide care for those who are ill among us are leaving the shores of our country in droves.
“I feel this is a very key issue facing us as a nation and we should look into ways of stemming this ugly tide, as we will continue to lose our medical professionals to other countries abroad if urgent measures are not adopted.
“It is a national challenge, which demands the collective attention of all, and among other reasons, is especially the desire to earn more money. There are also some complaints about the working environment and inadequate equipment.”
Okowa said that his administration has built new hospitals and provided modern hospital equipment to meet with current realities, noting: “In addition, we have largely replaced old, worn-out and obsolete medical equipment with new ones in virtually all the health facilities in the state.
“We have also built new hospitals; an example is Asaba Specialist Hospital, which is providing tertiary-level services in the state, including the Delta State University Teaching Hospital at Oghara and Advanced Diagnostics Medical Centre and Mother and Child Centre in Owa-Alero.
“I am proud to add that Delta State is one of the very few in the Federation to domesticate the Medical Residency Training Act of 2017 in all our health institutions where residency training is being done.”
On his part, Enabulele stressed the need to have effective leadership that would address the myriad of issues confronting the health sector in the country.
He called for concerted efforts to address the issue of brain drain, saying: “We must ensure that we walk the talk in terms of leadership.”
Enabulele described Okowa as an exemplar of good leadership, wishing that the medical profession and Nigeria had more persons like him.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, recalled the role of the NMA in the past, urging them to wake up and contribute their best to rebuild the health sector.
He commended Okowa for his impact in the state’s health sector, especially with the contributory health insurance scheme.
In his address, NMA President, Dr. Uche Ojinmah, expressed appreciation to the federal and some state governments, including Delta, for paying the new hazard allowance, adding that Delta blazed the trail in paying the new allowance and many others.
Ojinmah called on other states that yet to commence payment of the allowance to do, so as to maintain industrial harmony in their health care sectors.
He stated that the quest for the long overdue upward review of Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) has been reinvigorated and shall not wane until the goal is achieved, stressing that the grief of the long-suffering Nigerian doctor must meet a relief quickly to avert a total acquisition of escape velocity also known as ‘Japa.’
He said the NMA was passing through a lot of turbulence as a result of loss of standards and derision of merit in society, urging members to be of good cheer in the discharge of their duties.
Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of NMA in Delta State, Dr. Carter Okolakpa, expressed appreciation to Okowa for his administration’s immense support to the association.
Okolakpa appealed to the governor to declare an emergency on the replacement of medical doctors and other healthcare workers that had left the service of the state, saying this would reduce the stress doctors and health workers were passing through due to manpower shortage.
In his remarks, the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien, who was represented by Chief Chris Chukwurah, called for a strong leadership in the country that would address the challenges bedevilling all sectors, adding that the major problem in the country was failure of government to implement well-articulated policies and programmes.
The Asagba, who is a medical doctor, wished participants fruitful deliberations. During the ceremony, Prof. Clement Osime of the University of Benin, delivered a lecture, titled, ‘Doctors and Effective Leadership in the Health Sector,’ stressing the need for medical practitioners to put in their best in the discharge of their duties.
He also tasked medical doctors on leadership, saying it was important for them to be good leaders so as to be good mentors and motivators.
