RSG To Collaborate With NMA In Healthcare Delivery

The Rivers State Govern
ment has called for synergy between professional bodies and medical practitioners to ensure improved healthcare service delivery for its citizenry.
The state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, made the call at the 2015 Dinner and Award Night of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at the Glass House Event Centre, Port Harcourt.
Wike, who was represented by his Deputy,  Dr. Mrs. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, stressed that the present administration was committed to ensuring efficient healthcare for the people of the state.
According to Wike, ‘‘government is committed to restoring back confidence by supporting the medical practitioners  to ensure that they maintain professional excellence and in return win the confidence of the people.’’
He reiterated his administration’s promise to provide optimal training to resident doctors, establishment of medical schools, science and health technology university, improved welfare for doctors and payment of outstanding entitlements of the medical doctors.
The governor charged them to bring back compassion, empathy and   dignity to the profession.
“ I am happy that in recognition of the awardees, you have repeatedly highlighted dignity. This is the time to bring back dignity into the honourable profession. It’s time to put back compassion, empathy, win the confidence of our people, so that patients can look up to us and believe that they could walk into the hand of a doctor and get better,’’ he asserted.
The state chief executive commended NMA for its thoughtfulness in organising the just concluded scientific conference designed to elicit positive change and synergy with relevant stakeholders towards the economic and social wellbeing of the state.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Rt. Hon. Ikuiyi Ibani, who was represented by Dr. B.A. Aprioku, urged members of the association to always uphold the ethics of the medical profession in the discharge of their duties.
Earlier, Chairman of NMA, Dr. Furo Green, promised that with improved facilities and working condition, the NMA was poised to compete favourably with their counterparts in other parts of the world.