Nigeria Heading For Serious Health Crisis, NMA Warns

Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has predicted that there may soon be major manpower crisis in the medical sector that could lead to unpleasant stories if the current rate of migration of medical and dental practitioners to overseas “japa syndrome” is not reversed.

The warning was contained in a communique released at the end of the annual general conference of the association held in Jalingo, Taraba State, last week.

The communique of the conference was released in Abuja, on Monday, indicated that the Association had rejected the recently proposed bill by the House of Representative member, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson, seeking to a five-year mandatory service for Nigerian trained doctors before granting their full licenses to practice.

The communique which was jointly signed by the President and Secretary of the Association, Dr. Uche Ojinmah and Dr. Jide Onyekwelu, respectively, described the bill as unfair, irritable and highly provocative to the tenets of the international human rights law, Nigerian constitution and civil liberty, describing it as an act of modern day “slavery”

Meanwhile, the Association said it was unhappy with the report from its Anambra State Branch indicating that a non-medical doctor was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA).

NMA maintained that the appointment contravened the ASPHCDA Law, and thus directed its state branch of NMA to leave no stone unturned by using all legitimate means at their disposal to reverse the appointment of a non-medical doctor as the Executive Secretary of ASPHCDA, which, it maintained was in contravention of the enabling law.

“This action by the Governor of Anambra state, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, smacks of impunity and it’s important for him to have a rethink,” the association said.

In addition to that, the Association said it was deeply concerned with the conviction of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, Mrs. Beatrice Ekweremadu, and a medical doctor, Dr. Obinna Obeta, in the United Kingdom for trafficking for organ harvesting of a 21-year old poor and vulnerable Nigerian.

The Association noted that experts and facilities that could have handled such organ transplantation were available in Nigeria, but usually for the government officials preference for medical tourism.

It, thus admonished Nigerians including medical and dental practitioners to be conversant with both national and international guidelines for organ donations, harvestings and transplantation including assisted reproduction technology, to avoid acting in ignorance.

“It’s important to also know that details of these guidelines vary from one country to another. It’s important that Federal Government protect poor and vulnerable Nigerians from exploitation for organ donation.”

May 09, 2023