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Tag: Nigeria Medical Association (NMA)

  • JOHESU, NMA differ over Appeal court ruling

    The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientist of Nigeria ( AMLSN ) has faulted claims by the Nigeria Medical Association ( NMA ) over the recent Court of Appeal rulings over the creation of a department of  medical laboratory science in hospitals.

    NMA had claimed that the Court of Appeal confirmed that Chief Medical Directors/Medical Directors (CMDs/MDs) are not under any legal obligation to set up the Department of Medical Laboratory Science aside from the Pathology Laboratories departments headed by qualified Pathologists in hospitals in Nigeria.

    But the AMLSN faulted this claims describing it as  untrue divisive.

    In a statement by the Public Relations Secretary of the AMLSN, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi Cajetan, the AMLSN said: “Whereas, the Court of appeal in its judgment of 4/6/2018, ruled that since the court order was not served on the CMD and the DA, the contempt process was defective, the court never averred as claimed by the NMA that CMDs/MDs are not under any legal obligation to set up the Department of Medical Laboratory Science.

    “Equally, the Appeal Court neither made reference to the existence of Pathology Laboratory in our hospitals nor their headship by pathologists.

    “Obviously, the NMA does not appear to know the difference between the Department of Medical Laboratory Science and a Department of Medical Laboratory Service.”

    The AMSLN Spokesman further reiterated that his group  is unaware of any law of the Federation and/or extant schemes of service duly approved by the National Council on Establishment (NCE) that subordinates medical laboratory scientists to pathologists “as being dishonestly advocated and unlawfully implied by NMA.”

    The AMSLN however, insisted that whenever and wherever Medical Laboratory Scientists are employed to work in the public health sector of the  country, they  are willing to collaborate with other health professionals (including Doctors/Pathologists) towards an efficient public health delivery to Nigerians. 

  • Ngige to NMA: Stop meddling in JOHESU strike

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has told the leadership of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to stay away from the ongoing strike by members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) as their activities are making it difficult for government to resolve issues that led to the strike.

    The Minister, in a statement signed by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Samuel Olowokore said the doctors should stop meddling in the strike, adding that such meddlesomeness arising from an unhealthy inter-union rivalry will adversely put pressure on social dialogue mechanism.

    He however appealed to the striking health workers to call off its strike as the CONHESS table that corresponds with the 2014 CONMESS adjustment with the Medical Doctors has been appropriately addressed by the National Salary Income and Wages Commission and given as an offer in the spirit of equity.  

    Read Also: FG warns JOHESU against harassing doctors, others

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige has been drawn to media reports credited to the new Executive of the Nigerian Medical Association(NMA) wherein the body  has taken to meddlesome interloping in the ongoing negotiations with the striking Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU)

    “The Minister wishes to state that in trade unionism, such meddlesomeness arising from an unhealthy inter-union rivalry will adversely put pressure on social dialogue mechanism, clog the wheel of progress and in this instance, retard the return of industrial harmony in the entire health sector.

    “Hence, the NMA should desist from further interference of any form, in the ongoing negotiation as well as stop issuing threats to the Federal Government as it is firmly resolved to achieve a lasting industrial peace in all sectors without prejudice to perceived group interests.

    “Besides, I wish to once more appeal to JOHESU to call off its strike as the CONHESS table that corresponds with the 2014 CONMESS adjustment with the Medical Doctors has been appropriately addressed by the National Salary Income and Wages Commission and given as an offer in the spirit of equity.  I therefore plead that you consider the tragic consequences your action has already brought on the vulnerable patients in hospitals across the nation.”

  • Saudi-German hospital to establish cancer referral office

     

    The Saudi-German hospital has concluded arrangement to open a referral office in Nigeria.

    The essence of the office according to the Manager, Business Development (International), Dr. George Davis and Business Development Executive, Dilip Veliyath, of Saudi-German Hospital, Dubai, is to see patients first hand.

    The duo explained that the office will be equipped fully to carry out test and other diagnosis examination for cancer patients.

    Meanwhile, the hospital has scheduled medical screening for cancer patients in the country. The screening will be carried out at the office.

    Besides, the duo informed Journalists that the hospital is considering setting up a world class facility in the country to cater for cancer patients. This they said will help curb medical tourism, which is very high.

    Though they agreed that it was not possible to fully stop the trend, they however said it was possible to reduce the trend with modern health facilities abound in the country.

    Veliyath also explained that the hospital is currently looking for a location and discussing with some Nigerian partners to establish a specialized cancer care centre in Nigeria.

    He said, “Very soon we will be opening a patient referral office. It is like an info centre. We are looking for a good location. By the end of April we will be having a medical screening at the office so that patients can come comfortably and see the doctors for screening. This is the first step.”

    He also disclosed that the Saudi- German Hospital in Dubai has opened what he described as a one-shop-cancer treatment centre which is one of the best in the world.

    Speaking on the advantage of the one-shop cancer treatment centre, Dilip Veliyat said: “Our advantage is that we have all the facilities needed for comprehensive cancer care. When we receive a patient, it is not a single doctor that handles the patient. It is a team work. The patients gets the best as a result of a team work,” he explained.

    Speaking on the activities the Saudi- German Hospital has for Nigeria this year, Dr. Davis revealed that they are working closely with the Nigeria Medical Association ( NMA ) to organize trainings for doctors in Nigeria.

    He also urged Nigerians to maintain healthy life style including eating balance diet, regular exercises like half an hour everyday, avoid red meat and tobacco so as to prevent the possibility of having cancer.

  • NMA lauds Zamfara for recruiting more doctors, nurses

    The Nigeria Medical Association ( NMA ) in Zamfara has commended the state government for the recent recruitment of 100 doctors and 324 nurses in the state.

    The NMA Chairman in the state, Dr Kehinde Williams, who gave the commendation at a news conference in Gusau on Tuesday, said the development would address the shortage of health personnel in the state.

    “We appreciate the state government for upgrading the Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau, and the renovation of Farida General Hospital.

    Read Also: Bandits attack Zamfara villages

    “The state government also upgraded some general hospitals in some local government areas and the government effectively managed the recent meningitis outbreak.

    “There is also the launching of emergency ambulance system and improvement of performances of the state Hospital Service Management and the Primary Healthcare Development Agency,” he said.

    Williams said the NMA as a critical player in the health industry would continue to alert the relevant authorities on the need for improvement in the healthcare system.

    NAN

  • NMA raises alarm over low ratio of doctors to patients

    The Nigeria Medical Association NMA, has an alarm over the low ratio of medical doctors to patients in the country.

    Prof Mike Ogirima, the President of the association, expressed the concern in an interview with our reporters on Thursday in Abuja.

    Ogirima said that at the moment Nigeria had a ratio of one medical doctor to 6000 people in a given community.

    He added that this was grossly inadequate especially going by the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended a ratio of one doctor to 600 people in a community.

    The president of the association said that currently there were about 45,000 medical doctors in the country with an estimated population of 170 million.

    He said it was, therefore, ironical that Nigeria, with such a poor ratio, could not afford to absorb products from her medical schools.

    He argued that many medical doctors had been left without jobs while many others had gone to seek succour in other countries.

    “We have almost 3000 medical doctors being produced annually by medical schools. But we do not have the facility to absorb all of them.

    “If we don’t have the facilities then government needs to get the facilities in place to absorb the number of the medical doctors we produce,’’ Ogirima said.

    According to him, the house officers (those rounding off their training in medical schools) lack places to do their one-year compulsory training in the country.

    “Some of them have to wait for two years or three before they can get a placement.

    “After their youth service, they often have nowhere to be engaged and this is not to say that we do not need them.

    “There is no fund to employ them even in private hospitals.

    “This was not happening in the past and, therefore, government needs to do something to redress the situation.’’

    The NMA president said these were some of the reasons why many members of the association had been seeking for greener pasture outside the country.

     

  • Why NMA, Edo Govt talks end in deadlock

    Ongoing talks between the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA)  and the Edo State Government are not yielding results because of the demands for 100 percent wage increment by the doctors.

    The 21 days ultimatum issued by the NMA to the Edo State to meet its demands will expire on Sunday and the NMA has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike action if the demands are not met.

    Among the demands of the NMA are revamping of the health sector, employment of more doctors, addressing decayed infrastructure in the state government owned hospitals and boosting of morale of doctors through payment of good salaries.

    Government sources however said the NMA was only interested in the increment of doctors’ salaries and not concerned about infrastructure in the hospital.

    The source said Governor Obaseki offered 25% pay rise with a promise to increase it in the next four years but the NMA insisted on 100 percent pay rise.

    According to the source, “The NMA is looking for a situation where a doctor will be earning over N1m monthly and not really concerned about the decayed infrastructure.

    “Governor Obaseki has opened up on his robust plans for the health sector  but the NMA wanted the pay rise. If Obaseki agreed to pay them high salary now, they will forget other things they are talking about.

    “This administration is sincere about revamping the health sector and not the approach of the NMA.”

    Reacting to the demand of the NMA, Governor Obaseki said they were unrealistic.

    Obaseki said arrangements were on for private health care providers to offer essential services to patients in state government hospitals during the period of the strike action

    His words, “We believe that the doctors’ demands are unrealistic, having been part of the steps taken so far to improve the conditions of service of medical doctors in the state. They see what we are doing and yet have threatened to go on strike because I cannot afford to fulfil 100 per cent of their demands.”

    “We agree with their demands but cannot afford all the demands now, rather we will spread them across four years of this administration, but the Edo NMA rejected the offer and insists on embarking on strike.

    “We are looking at various ways to execute our health reforms but will not allow anyone to blackmail us. We have been open, honest and have carried NMA along in all our activities till date. We will be talking to private health practitioners to help us and I have told them that I cannot afford all their requests at once. We are already making backup plans to take care of our people, if we are constrained to.”

    Read Also: NMA accuses Obaseki of insincerity

  • Healthcare Delivery: NMA honors Gaidam for excellence

    Healthcare Delivery: NMA honors Gaidam for excellence

    In recognition of his milestone achievement in the health sector of the state, Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam on Monday got the conferment of an award of Excellence from the The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Yobe State Chapter.

    According to the organizers of the award ceremony, Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam is poles apart from other states of the federation in the area of healthcare delivery in the state through his deliberate reforms and programs in the sector.

    The award was presented to the governor by the National President of NMA, Prof. Mike Ogrima on behalf of the state chapter of the association at an elaborate ceremony held at the State Cultural Centre Damaturu which was full to capacity.

    Prof. Ogrima who was represented by NMA’s Second Vice President, Dr. Adamu Alhassan Umar, a son of the soil from Yobe State attested to the fact that significant progress has been made in the state especially in the health sector.

    the  NMA president, tagged  Gov. Gaidam as a ‘pillar of support for the health sector’, said doctors in the country are impressed with  the ‘monumental achievements’ of the governor in all key sectors of the economy, especially in healthcare.

    “Generations yet unborn will benefit from the massive investments your administration has made in creating a peaceful atmosphere in the state and the gigantic legacies you will leave behind after your tenure in office. NMA is proud of all the robust measures you have taken to improve healthcare delivery in the state”, Prof. Ogrima said.

    The  State Chairman of the NMA, who is also the deputy chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the Yobe University Teaching Hospital (YSUTH) Dr. Adamu Abdullahi said his association conferred the award on the governor after careful consideration of all the interventions that he has made so far in the state’s healthcare sector.

    He said Yobe today is a much better place because of the concerted commitment of the governor to making qualitative healthcare accessible and affordable to the people.

    He called on the governor also invest heavily in the human resource of the state and the welfare of medical and health worker, as according to him, “the situation is green but His Excellency, you can make it greener”.

    State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Muhammad Bellow Kawuwa  who chronicled the various health interventions of the governor in the state described the situation as hitherto  “comatose and dysfunctional” and was characterized by “dilapidated infrastructure, old and obsolete equipment. and acutely inadequate manpower”.

    “The health indices in the state at the take-off of the administration were worrisome and disturbing. We were ranked amongst the worst in maternal and child care”, he said.

    Dr. Bello Kawuwa noted that the reverse in the trend   began when   Gov. Gaidam came to power and assumed a new urgency and declared an emergency in the health sector in May 2013.

    “The declaration of emergency in the sector was followed by massive capital investments.  The renovation, rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion of health facilities ensued across the state”, he said.

    The commissioner said the health sector is now better poised to deliver quality care to patients, not just in the state but other parts of the country as well.

    While expressing appreciation for the award conferred on him, Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam said he will continue to push the boundaries in healthcare in the state.

    “Let me place on record that the inadequacies that characterized the health sector in our State which included gross lack of infrastructural facilities and human resources, funding gaps, lack of adequate equipment, furniture, and other working materials, etc. was the reason why we declared a State of emergency in the health sector in 2013.

    “This culminated in our administration taking far reaching and holistic measures to address the multiple challenges facing the sector”, the governor said.

    The governor, who reviewed all the milestones reached by his administration in improving healthcare through massive rehabilitation of health facilities, setting up the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital and the College of Medical Sciences at the Yobe State University as well as massive recruitment of healthcare personnel, amongst others, said the challenege facing the sector now is “attitudinal change”.

    “I wish to emphasize that considering the attention our administration has accorded the health sector , our problems should no longer be viewed from the perspective of lack of facilities, but rather on the need for attitudinal change.

    “Therefore, I wish to appeal to all our health workers to resolve to work with dedication to enable us achieve significant progress in delivering services to our people. This way we can look forward to a time when all sorts of ailments can be satisfactorily treated here at home in keeping with our vision of making Yobe a center of medical tourism in Nigeria, In-sha Allah.  This is my charge and challenge to you all,” he said.

    The Nation recalled that the governor was just last week conferred with an Honorary Membership of   the Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON) in Sokoto for rejuvenating the healthcare services in Yobe State.

  • NMA wants more research on HIV, AlDS

    NMA wants more research on HIV, AlDS

    The Nigeria Medical Association ( NMA ), Kwara state chapter, has solicited the support of the Federal and state governments for more research to curb the HIV and AlDS scourge in the country.

    The Chairman of NMA, Dr Kunle Olawepo made the call in llorin, on Friday in a statement to commemorate the 2017 world HlV and AlDS day.

    Olawepo who expressed delight that there was remarkable reduction on the outbreak of the disease, noted that more support was needed for the research to further improve on the current available treatment plans.

    The Chairman added that more research on the causes of the disease would assist in the prevention, treatment and control activities.

    He appealed for the provision of free and affordable treatment for all infected persons in the country.

    Olawepo also urged governments to further ‘strengthen the health sector, to enable it cope with the ever increasing challenges.’

    He listed the symptoms of the disease to include, persistent fever, chronic diarrhea, chronic cough, severe weight loss and rashes on the body.

    He said that HIV infection occurs through sexual intercourse (heterosexual and homosexual) with an infected person, transfusion of HIV infected persons.

    Olawepo advised Nigerians to go for regular medical checkup, indulge in physical exercises and avoid the use of unsterilised syringes.
    The theme for 2017 world HIV and AlDS day is, ‘My Health, My Right.’’

    NAN

  • Senate endorse Health Sciences varsity, Otukpo

    Senate endorse Health Sciences varsity, Otukpo

    A bill which sought the establishment of the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo ( FUHSO ), Benue state, has received the endorsement of the Senate and stakeholders in the education and health sectors of the country.

    The Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission ( NUC ), Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria ( MDCAN ), Nigeria Medical Association ( NMA ), National Association of Resident Doctors ( NARD ) and League of Idoma Professors ( LIP ) were unanimous in their submissions at the Senate Public hearing that the university is desirable.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki who described t the bill as timely noted that the establishment of the university would help mitigate the crisis in the health sector.

    Saraki stressed that the university would open the window for admission and training of medical  doctors, nurses , pharmacists and  medical  laboratory scientists in Nigeria adding “the university when established would address the issues  of medical tourism and its associated capital flights”.

    Saraki who was represented the Chief Whip, Senator Sola Adeyeye lamented that Nigeria loses humongous sum of money about N3billion annually on account of citizens seeking medical attentions abroad.

    Sponsor of the bill and former Senate President, Senator David Mark, listed the educational, economic and social importance of establishing the Health University to include medical education, access to health care facilities and employment opportunities.

    Senator Mark urged his colleagues to support and pass the bill for the benefit of humanity .

    Education Minister Mallam Adamu Adamu added that the establishment of the Health University would help address the imbalance in health education just as it will solve the medical needs of citizens.

    Speaking through the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Sunday Echono, the minister assured that the  executive arm of government will do the needful as soon as the legislative processes are completed .

    The NUC executive Secretary  Professor Adamu Rasheed who spoke through Prof Ibrahim Yakassai said the university would be  an added value to the pursuit of medical Education in Nigeria .

    All the Speakers including Professor Innocent Ujah of Nigeria Institute for Medical Research ( NIMR ) , Professor Francis Uba of College of Medical Sciences, Professor Owoicho Akpa, of League of IDOMA Professors, former Interior minister Comrade  Abah Moro,  and Dr. Umar Adamu  of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA)  among others were of the consensus that the university be established forthwith to address medical challenges in Nigeria.

  • Osun doctors suspend strike

    Osun doctors suspend strike

    The Osun Chapter of Nigeria Medical Association ( NMA ), on Tuesday directed its members working with state government to resume work after a seven-day warning strike over salary arrears and poor working condition.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the doctors began the strike on Sept. 18.

    The directive for resumption of work is contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the NMA Chairman, Dr Tokunbo Olajumoke and Secretary, Olalekan Ajayi.

    It said that the strike was suspended due to the intervention of well meaning stakeholders, who assured the association that the state government would address their grievances.

    The association said the strike became necessary because of the poor condition of facilities in state hospitals and poor welfare.

    According to the communiqué, the poor facilities have affected the quality of health care services rendered to citizens and had negatively affected the health indices of the state.

    “Osun had experienced an unprecedented brain drain in the health sector as a result of the various unimaginable welfare challenges facing doctors in the employment of the state which had caused an alarming instability in the sector,” the association stated.

    NAN reports that some of the issues in contention include “inappropriate and demeaning remuneration”, withholding of four to six months doctors emoluments, over taxation among others.