AMSWON seeks govt support for better delivery of medical services

Association of Medical Social Workers of Nigeria (AMSWON) has called on the government at all levels to review and regulate the activities of its members in other to achieve a sustainable health care delivery in the country.

AMSWON made the call at its annual general meeting. The occasion was aimed at reviewing the activities of various social workers, to protect and to map out the strategy to achieve the goals of the association and also review its challenges and better ways to address them.

Minister of State for Health Dr. OsagieEhanire, at the event in Lagos emphasised the need for positive change in attitude of all health workers and for all health workers to work in harmony and mutual respect.

Ehanire said the government will ensure that whatever is meant for health workers is given them and that they should practice responsibly. He also highlighted on record keeping and management in other to improve efficacy.

Ehanire who was represented by the Medical Director National Orthopaedic Hospital Ibobi (NOHI), Dr. RotimiOdunubi, encouraged the health workers on the benefits of proper training and professionalism and also pray the conference will enhance the service delivery and the patients to benefit maximally from their care.

He said: “There is a pending bill in the national assembly all these bills are supported by the ministry of health and we hope they have regulatory body to regulate the process. Once the working environment is improved you can bring everybody together to come out and encourage them. We also encourage all hospitals to train workers so that they will be more competent in service delivery. This event is important for interaction and training and impacting of knowledge to all groups of professionals for proper delivery of health care.”

Lagos state Commissioner for Health Dr. JideIdris said: “This conference is meant to provide the knowledge and skills that will provide excellence in medical social service. The vision is to attain excellence in this field and it IS gradually coming to pass. Professionalization is a social process by which occupation transforms itself into a true profession of the highest integrity and competent. This of course adds to the service delivery model adopted by such profession.”

Idris who was represented by Dr. FunmiShokunbi added: “In the view of evolving nature of health care in the world, there is a growing demand of quality care and Nigeria is not left behind. Lagos with more than 20 million residences, calls with several challenges, which in many ways require a significant amount of resources to meet social and health care need. Lagos state is progressing and addressing this challenge by putting in place policy, programme and structure that will improve health care services. This present administration under the leadership of Mr. AkinwumiAmbode is so passionate about health care delivery in Lagos and is committed to meeting the health need of the citizens of the state.”

Idris added that Lagos sate is still confronted with the challenges of ensuring that there is sufficient health care and social welfare. His words: “One of the major challenges many developing countries have is the demand of standard healthcare by its citizens. They say that workers are not professionals while delivering service to them. This is a clarion call for us all if we are to remain relevant in this time we must prove the value of our work.”

National President of AMSWON AbubakarBichi said: “As we look into the details as part of the objectives which is to regulate the relationship between the members and employers in other to reduce all form of exploitation in line of duty and to negotiate the benefits and profits to members.”
Bichi added: “Let it be emphasised that the profession is to improve the well being of the people, group, community and the society at large. The challenges ahead of us are highly enormous and this includes the care of the internally displaced persons all over the country, abandoned persons both young and adults and above all the lack of adequate number of professional social workers in comparison to the population of the country.”

The president called on the Buhari led administration to harmonise the bill of the social workers for effective delivery of good health care services in the country.