President, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Dr.Victor Makanjuola, on Friday expressed worry over the myriads of challenges bedeviling the health sector in Nigeria.
In his speech, Chairman Local Organising Committee (LOC) and Chairman of National Eye Health Committee, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Prof Afekhide Ernest Omoti, said the meeting came at a critical time and was crucial to stakeholders in repositioning the health sector, particularly in proffering solutions to issues of brain drain, insecurity, inflation, poor wages, unemployment and burnout of the medical doctor.
“Benin 2022 promises to be an interesting meeting coming at a time that there are so many issues plaguing medical practice in Nigeria and at a critical time in our democracy. Of particular importance is the ceaseless brain drain, insecurity, inflation, poor wages, unemployment and burnout of the medical doctor,” Omoti said.
“We specially appreciate the financial support of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, the Chief Medical Directors of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo Specialist Hospital, all the consultants in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, and all our other sponsors. We also appreciate the Edo state government for their support.”
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health FMOH, Alhaji Mahmud Mamman, represented by Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Darlington Obaseki expressed government’s commitment in tackling brain drain by ensuring that healthcare workers that leave are replaced automatically without resort to obtaining approvals.
“One of our proposed interventions is the ‘One for one replacement policy’ for existing medical staff in our hospitals. Healthcare workers that leave is replaced without resort to obtaining approvals. We believe that this would go a long way towards addressing the present brain drain,” Mamman said.
