LUTH ARD urges upward review of allocation to health sector

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos, has advocated upward review of budgetary allocation to the healthcare sector.

It also urged the Federal Government to compensate the families of its members who died as frontline health workers during the first, second and third waves of COVID-19 pandemic.

The resident doctors gave the charge yesterday during the yearly ordinary general meeting of the association held in the hospital premises.

President of the association, Dr. Okerinde Samuel, urged the government to look into the remuneration and welfare of health workers and provide adequate equipment and facilities.

“Therefore we urge the government to look inwards and make resident doctors training and other training better and improved”.

Okerinde said there is need for implementation of Abuja declaration, where more resources were required to address the pressing health challenges of the day, including HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in order to improve health sector and reduce medical tourism in Nigeria.

Chairman Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State chapter Dr. Adetunji Adenekan said that those who are just finishing medical school are leaving the country for abroad therefore there is need for government to solve the challenges concerning training of doctors in Nigeria in order to encourage more people to practice healthcare profession in Nigeria.

He said the programme was to remind Nigerians that resident doctors training exists but it might not be good as we want it therefore there is need to get people interested in this training by providing welfare of doctors so that they can become specialists and be fit and knowledgeable to work anywhere in the world.

Local organizing committee Chairman for the programme Dr. Olusola Soyinka Junior, said there is need for implementation of healthcare insurance for all resident doctors and other healthcare workers, it is very important so that it can motivate more doctors to practice their profession in Nigeria.