COVID-19: Anap foundation enjoins cooperation between FMOH, NMA

AFRAID that the misgivings between the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) may spell doom in the ongoing efforts aimed at combating the coronavirus pandemic in the country, Anap Foundation has impressed on the two bodies the need to forge a synergy of cooperation.

The Foundation, in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by Atedo N. A. Peterside,    Chairman and Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, Vice-Chairman, while lauding the patriotic zeal of health workers in the frontline, however said there was an urgent call for collaborative action between FMOH and NMA.

Speaking on the heels of the visit by 15 Chinese medical health workers to the country recently, the Foundation said the opposing positions of the FMOH and the NMA on the involvement of foreign physicians and healthcare workers to combat COVID-19 is not in the interest of the Nigerian public.

The Foundation said, it would rather the Federal Government and the FMOH engage with the NMA immediately on the serious concerns and recommendations made by the NMA.

“We urge the NMA to review its positions and remain open and strategic about managing all offers to support Nigeria’s medical capacity to beat the deadly COVID-19,” the statement said.

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According to the Foundation, Nigeria has an adverse doctor to population ratio (4:10,000) compared to South Africa (9:10,000) and has suffered the depletion of healthcare workers and degradation of the country’s healthcare capabilities over decades.

While noting that the Anap COVID-19 Team, has issued a 7-page Call to Action in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, the Foundation urged the FMOH to be more collaborative and communicative with the NMA as it executes its strategies to contain the spread of the virus.

To achieve success on the ongoing efforts, the Foundation reiterated the need for strategic alignment of purpose, transparent communication, close collaboration and collective accountability. “We need the FMOH and the NMA to collaborate at this critical time otherwise the Nigerian people will be victims of this failure of leadership within the healthcare sector.”