Health
NIGERIA Medical Association (NMA), FCT chapter, on Monday, condemned the poor state of primary healthcare system in the territory, urging stakeholders in the sector to be proactive towards addressing the matter.
NMA Chairman, FCT chapter, Dr Enema Amodu, stated this at a news briefing in Abuja to mark the commencement of the association’s 2021 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference.
He said that doctors would no longer remain silent about the state of the healthcare system, as they had been saddled with the responsibility of protecting the lives of the people.
According to the chairman, the NMA leadership in the FCT has decided to walk the talk, adding: “We know that different people have different perceptions about medical doctors in Nigeria.
“We want to give back to the society and protect that which we have sworn to protect. We call on all stakeholders in the health sector to do justice to the problem of access to primary healthcare.
“If the primary healthcare is well-strengthened, funded, and runs as it should, the secondary and tertiary healthcare centres will be doing what they are designated to do in the first place.
Amodu said that the 2021 conference was strategically organised to critically look at the challenges and limitations of primary healthcare system.
This, he said, would enable the association make necessary recommendations to relevant authorities to improve the system in the territory and Nigeria in general.
“This annual general meeting will critically look at the limitations, challenges and possible ways of improving primary healthcare system so that at the end, we can put together recommendations which will be handed over to the FCT Minister.
“During an earlier visit to the minister, he had expressed sadness over the poor state of primary healthcare in the FCT, urging us to look into the issues facing the system and how they could be addressed.
“He could not understand why, despite all the funding and support from the government, including remunerations being given to healthcare providers, there still remained very poor quality and access to healthcare in the health sector.
“There is an increase in infant mortality due to the inability of the system to adequately cater for emergencies, outbreaks and pandemics, the COVID-19 infected people in the territory and the country, including the recent outbreak of cholera,” Amodu noted.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for this year’s conference is: “Improving the Quality of Healthcare Services in the FCT in the Midst of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases.”
NAN
– Aug. 02, 2021 @ 19:14 GMT |
Tags: NMA decries state of primary healthcare in FCT seeks stakeholders’ support
