Collaboration
By Ummul Idris
Abuja, Nov. 4, 2019 (NAN) Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has stressed the need for collaboration
by stakeholders in the health sector to reverse the health indices in the country.
The NMA National President, Dr Francis Faduyile, stated this in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the
2nd NMA National Health Summit (NHS) and the 25th Triennial Conference of the Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA).
The theme of the summit is Patient Centred Care, with Improving the Nigerian Care Indices, Inter-Professional Relationship
in the Health Sector, Brain Drain and Brain Gain as sub-themes.
Other sub-themes are Universal Health Coverage, Public-Private Partnership and Reversing Medical Tourism.
Faduyile said there was need for collective efforts to provide effective and efficient healthcare services to Nigeria’s teeming population.
He added that there was also need for leadership at all tiers and levels, as well as the followership to respond to the paradigm shift in healthcare delivery.
He said one of the targets of the 2019 National Health Summit was to change the narrative in the country’s health sector by making it patients’-centered.
He noted that the NMA was committed to working with Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to address issues of medical brain drain
and other challenges affecting the health sector.
He said that the association was looking at how to reverse the situation to a brain gain.
Faduyile said that NHS was conceptualised by the NMA at a time when the health sector was yearning for total revamp to improve and
meet the health needs of Nigerians.
He stressed that one of the major achievements of the maiden edition of the summit held in 2013 was the resolve of stakeholders to
actualise the National Health (NH) Bill that was subsequently enacted by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.
“That singular achievement changed the health policy of the nation because the NH Act is the only document detailing duties of the
government concerning the health of its citizens.
“Furthermore, health has been made a Right in Nigeria, courtesy of Section 11 of the NH Act 2014 and funding for a benefit
package no matter how little guaranteed through at least one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund disbursed through statutory transfers as first line charge.
“NMA makes bold to claim that it was her efforts joined by those of her partners that made this happen.”
Faduyile said that the stage was set for the 2nd summit “Abuja 2019” which would be declared open by President Muhammadu Buhari,
while Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) would be the Chairman of the opening ceremony.
The keynote address will be delivered by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, while dignitaries expected at the week-long programme include
the Minister of Health, United Arab Emirates who would be giving a guest lecture.
Others are the President of Commonwealth Medical Association, Prof. Vajira Dissanyanke, Presidents of medical associations and
other dignitaries from the commonwealth countries and Nigerian medical professionals in diaspora.
Faduyile said that the summit would play host to over 67 speakers and panelists, as well as over 700 delegates, including medical and
dental professionals from the 36 states, the FCT, Diaspora and other health care practitioners.
He said discussions would centre on ideas and solutions to the challenges affecting the health sector.
On the CMA 25th Triennial Conference holding simultaneously with NHS, Faduyile said that Nigeria would be hosting the event for the first time with
the theme “Fast tracking the attainment of the Universal Health Coverage in the Commonwealth: the place of the CMA social health enterprise.”
He said highpoint of the CMA conference would be the investiture of Dr Osahon Enabulele as the new President of CMA.
He explained that Enabulele would be the first Nigerian to head the Commonwealth Medical Association. (NAN)
UMD/HA
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Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu