Union Blames Poor Health Services On Corruption

Members of Nigerian Union of Pharmacists, Medical Scientists & Professionals Allied of Medicine (NUPMTPAM), has identified marginalisation and corruption among medical professionals as challenges facing the development of health care delivery service in the country.

The National President of NUPMTPAM, Comrade Felix Faniran, stated this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, recently as part of activities to mark the union’s four days executive council meeting in Rivers State.

Comrade Faniran decried  the level of disparity among the healthcare given in the country, adding that the federal government has consistently neglected other medical professionals in  appointment   into various key position in health institutions in the country.

According to him, federal government  has continously appointed  medical doctors as the Medical Directors of all the tertiary institutions at the instances of other health professionals, adding that if such practice is not address is capable of causing disharmony  in the sector.

“There  are other health and medical professional as nurses, lab scientist among others  who also have the pre requisite experience and knowledge in the medical profession but only members of Nigerian  Medical Associations are recoignised more than others” he declared.

The NUPMTPAM president averred  that the  union  is the only recognised body of the medical professionals and advised  government not to discuss  issues relating to workers  strike with the para medicals bodies who are not registered industrial unions.

He used the opportunity to call on the Federal Government to reconstitute the board of tertiary institutions in the country for effective healthcare service delivery.

He urged the Minister  for Health, Professor  Onyebuchi, to urgently convok a national  stake holders forum in other to give a broad minds into the National Health bill before the National Assembly,  adding that the forum would create the opportunities for the stake holders would look at some of the contending issues in the bill.

The NUPMTAM boss opined that there is urgent need  for all health and medical professionals  across the nation to close ranks together,  adding that impositions of university lecturers to mann the health sector was not for the best interest of the country.

He called for continued training and retraining of medical personnel and urged federal government to grant full autonomy to all the teaching hospitals, adding that only qualified medical practitioners should be appointed to head the teaching hospitals.

Also  speaking, the state Chairman of NUPMTPAM, Comrade Chris Mbata, said the challenges facing the union in the state were non-inclusion of the members of the Joint Council by the State Permanent  Secretary  for Establishment  as well as  non promotion of their members working at UPTH.