Health system can’t contain casualties of political upheaval, NMA warns

Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised the alarm over the inability of the country’s health system to accommodate the casualties of political upheaval.The association noted that inflammatory statements by top political actors could stoke conflicts that could lead to communal clashes and attendant mass casualties.

In a statement made available to The Guardian yesterday, the president, Dr. Francis Faduyile, said the association’s worry was based on the country’s poor health system bedevilled by under-funding, poor governance, poor service delivery, as well as lack of political will to implement extant laws, regulations and policies.

This, he said, manifested in escalated emigration of health workers, over-stretching of existing health facilities, absence of basic equipment, among others.NMA urged politicians to engage in politics without rancour and bitterness; one that is strictly based on constructive engagements, factual debates and constitutionality.

It charged all political parties, aspirants to elective offices and other stakeholders to play by the rules, while urging law enforcement agents to demonstrate unambiguous loyalty to their calling and the country’s constitution.The association, however, urged Nigerians to be law-abiding and resist the lure of being used by politicians as ready tools to destroy human lives and property in the name of political support and loyalty to politicians.