Specialists to address braindrain, health sector challenges at ASCAF 15th confab

Specialists in the medical profession from within and outside the country will on Monday, August 8 gather at the Eko Hotel, Lagos and Suites to dissect issues affecting the healthcare system in the country and explore solutions.

The conference held from Monday to Friday, August 12 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

Over 1,000 specialists are expected to attend the 15th Annual Scientific Conference and All Fellows’ Congress (ASCAF) ceremony organised by the Post Graduate Medical College Fellows’ Association.

The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Strengthening the health system in the midst of a pandemic’.

Speaking at a press briefing on the upcoming conference, the Chairman of the association, Prof. Akin Osibogun, said these are difficult times for the medical professions and the health system in the country.

He said the conference is coming at a time when there is a need to put in place policies that would end brain drain and ensure specialists remain in the country.

Osibogun noted that ending the brain drain involves changing things in Nigeria through improved policies, welfare, work climate of medical professionals, and ensuring they have access to the tools of their professions so that they can have job satisfaction.

Osibogun said the college is working already on strategies to improve the health sector.

According to him, the college has put in place measures to ramp up the production of quality specialists and speed up the turnover of professionals across the country.

He, however, stressed the need to encourage government at all levels to put in place strategies to ensure that the country retains its specialists and not lose them to other countries.

The former chief medical director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said the college is promoting continued medical education, adding that yearly, they hold the conference to provide opportunities for the exchange of scientific knowledge, especially medical knowledge.

“At this conference, our fellows who have been involved in research will bring forward their findings, which will dictate the direction of the treatment of patients in all specialities.

“The latest findings will dictate the more current direction to treat patients.”

Osibogun stated that the college has also taken steps to ensure the quality of its products by establishing simulation training centres, which they hope to build additional across the country.

He, therefore, solicited assistance from well-meaning Nigerians to support the effort of the college in this regard, noting that the task of advancing the healthcare of Nigerians can not be borne by the government alone.

The former CMD said there would be a lot of side attractions and opportunities to network for research and social interaction at the event.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, Osibogun noted that aside from addressing the challenges of human resources, the government must increase funding to the sector and reevaluate processes to efficiently use those resources.

He said: “We need to put in place processes that are seamless, allow health institutions to function optimally and grant some degrees of autonomy and internal control so they can perform.

“We need to set for them key performance indices, measure and reward performance and also sanction non-performance.

“Over the next one week, all the experts that are coming to the conference will dissect all these issues in more detail.”