NMA Defends Medical Doctors’ Strike

As the nationwide strike
by medical doctors enters day eight, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) maintains that the action is for the good of the patients.
Chairman of the association in Rivers State, Dr. Ibitrokoemi Kurubo, stated this in a chat with The Tide in his office.
Dr. Kurubo noted that their demands bordered on issues that would provide quality healthcare services for their patients.
He said the health sector needed to be adequately funded to provide training for doctors to enhance service delivery, adding that part of the reason for medical tourism was the lack of personnel and conducive environment for both the doctor and the patient to function.
He maintained that the patient’s wellbeing was the doctor’s priority in the hospital, and emphasized that they would do everything in their power to deliver quality service to the patients and appealed to the public for understanding and patients.
The NMA boss also said adequate arrangements have been made to cater for their critical patients and to handle medical crises, adding that those patients who could not be moved have consultants looking after them, also saying that patients who were referred to other hospitals were given referral notes with their doctors following up on them.
Meanwhile some private hospitals are experiencing an unprecedented boom in their business.
Dr Stanley Chukwuka, private medical practitioner in Port Harcourt who affirms that business is good, also appealed to the relevant authorities to take urgent steps to improve healthcare delivery in the country.
The Primary Health centres also have increased patronage as those who could not patronize the private hospitals now visit the health centres.
However, a walk through government owned hospitals in the state, saw patients hanging around the hospitals hoping for a miracle.
Mrs Alaba Davis, who was seen at the entrance of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), lamented that her son who had already been booked for hernia surgery, could not have his surgery done, and complained that she could not afford to go to private  hospital since she had already paid a certain amount for the procedure.
Davis decried in frequent strike actions embarked on by doctors, expressing her thought saying “I used to think the world of the doctors was humanitarian, why these frequent strikes every now and then?” She appealed to the striking doctors to reconsider their stand and give consideration to the suffering patients.
Expert identifies challenges facing treatment of mental illness in Nigeria
Psychiatrist, Dr Olusegun Akinwotu , on Monday identified religious beliefs, lack of financial resources, low enlightenment, unavailability of a mental health law and discrimination as challenges facing psychiatrists in Nigeria.
Akinwotu, the President, Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
“People’s religious belief about mental illness, some believe it is spiritual and that they don’t need to come to the hospital for treatment.
“We, also, in the medical profession know that when these symptoms start, relatives tend to attribute it to different things, especially if they have rivalry in the family.
“Many people believe these things are spiritual. The other is the issue of financial resources. When they are supposed to come and seek medical treatment, they don’t have enough funds.
“And some also have problems of enlightenment. They are not enlightened enough. They have beliefs that this is due to other various causes.
“The mental health law in the country does not back mental health practice as it should.’’
The psychiatrist said that proper education and improved socio-economic status would enhance better psychiatric practice in Nigeria.
He added that a mental health law would enhance the quality of care a mentally ill person should have.
“If the government can enact the mental health law it will solve most of the problems.
“People should be enlightened to know that mental illness is treatable, but because of the stigma attached to it, people shy away from owning up that they have this illness.
“In addition to that, if the socio-economic status of the entire nation can be improved, if better life can be guaranteed, the earning power of the individual is improved, things will be better.’’

Tonye Nria-Dappa