By Joke-Adeniyi Jackson
The National Association of Government General Medical and Dental
Practitioners (NAGGMDP) has noted that state governors can change the
fortune of healthcare in Nigeria through effective management of the
secondary healthcare level.
Hence, it implored the state governments to pay premium attention to
that level of healthcare for the nation’s health system to work for
all.
The President of NAGGMDP, Dr. Abubakar Ayinla stated this in a
statement made available to newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State, on
Wednesday.
He added, “the provision of good healthcare by the governors is not
another optional charity nor is it supposed to be an electoral
dividend but a fundamental living need that must be championed by them
to all communities under their domain.”
The president stressed the need for government at all levels to ensure
welfare of health workers, saying “the health of a nation cannot be
said to be adequate when the care givers are being starved of their
salaries and benefits.”
“Let them start by motivating all the health workforce in their
employment, paying them appropriately as and when due and invest in
their training and re-training as appropriate.
“Recruit additional health work force to fill identified gaps in their
state’s human resource pool, remunerate them well like their
colleagues elsewhere, provide necessary and required infrastructure,
provide modern equipments, provide medical consumables and put an
effective management in place to drive it. ”
Ayinla suggested that Local Government chairmen should be
appropriately empowered through necessary support from the state
Governors and the Federal Government to put the Primary health centres
on track having initiated a working model at the Secondary level.
“If these steps are taken, the structure of the National health system
will begin to function effectively while ensuring that all levels of
cares (the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary) are duly manned and
emphasized for appropriate developmental strategies.
“This implies that our primary health care centres, our general
hospitals, the cottage hospitals, the comprehensive health centres,
federal medical centres and the teaching hospitals can work again and
citizens can access well coordinated and linked services from the
lower level, through to the highest level based on their respective
needs.
“In the long run, the citizens shall be assured of succour when they
have health challenges. The nation as a whole shall thrive, the GDP
will increase through inputs from the highly productive and healthy
citizens that abounds the streets and towns and the nation’s glory
will be lifted just by an appropriate strides in the health sector.”
He urged doctors and other health workers to work as a team and remain
the tool in achieving an effective and efficient health system.
Ayinla congratulated President Muhammad Buhari and the newly
inaugurated state governors, praying to God to help them in piloting
affairs of the nation.
