– Solicits Health Insurance For All, Improved Welfare For Health Workers
As stakeholders in the Nigerian health sector bemoan the continued mass exodus of medical personnel to other countries in search of better working condition, a specialist in public health and former commissioner in the state, has called for improved service condition for Doctors and nurses in order to stem the tide.
Dr Sir Ernest Nwigbo former Imo State commissioner for Inter Governmental Affairs made this assertion weekend while fielding questions from newsmen on the general state of public health in the country, especially the continued mass exodus of skilled medical practitioners to other countries. Dr Nwigbo who has cut his teeth in various aspects of medical practice, both at home and in the diaspora warned that unless something is done and quickly too, the general state of public health in the country would further degenerate.
Recall that in recent time, there have been persistent public out -cry over poor service delivery in the health sector, especially the continued mass emigration of highly skilled and qualified medical personnel to other countries, resulting in serious disconnect in quality health-care delivery, including high mortality rate among the citizenry.
Reacting to the public out-cry, Dr Nwigbo said, the problem of the health sector in Nigeria is multi-dimentional and requires urgent attention. He listed some of the problems as, harsh economic condition, poor remuneration, infrastructural decay, insecurity and lack of appreciation for service delivery, adding, that all these trigger the brain drain, and the mass exodus to other countries in search of better working condition.
He described the Medical profession as a specialized area, and Doctors as next to God, hence they struggle to save life, but regretted that even the public whom they serve don’t appreciated them.
Amidst the harsh economic condition he said, the greatest challenge facing Doctors in Nigeria is poor remuneration , as many cannot feed their families nor send them to good schools.
The medic posited that Nigerian Doctors are poorly remunerated, unlike their counterparts overseas where Doctors receive as much as the salary of a Vice President.
Many he said, are not even employed after many years of internship, hence they emigrate in search of jobs.
Worried over the plight of Nigerian doctors, Sir Ernest Nwigbo noted that insecurity and infrastructural decay have made emergency calls very tasking as many doctors cannot leave their homes between 10pm and 5am due to the fear of uncertainty.
On the role of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA in proffering solution to this Medical crisis, the erudite medical schorlar and speaker who has delivered lectures on various aspects of public health stated that both the NMA and the Nigerian Resident Doctors, NRD have done their best to remedy the situation, but to no avail.
On how to proffer solution to the prevailing ugly trend, Dr Nwigbo who has travelled to countries like, Belgium , Germany, USA, Britain and International organizations like , the World Health Organization in Geneva , United Nations , West African College of Surgeons and others recommends, total overhaul of the health sector , including making prudent use of the health budget , especially the ones that affect the welfare of doctors in addition to Health Insurance for all in order to mitigate the huge medical bills on the citizenry.
