The National Executives Council (NEC) of the Medical and Dental Consultant’s Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has observed with dismay the non implementation of 50% electricity subsidy by federal government which has placed heavy burden on hospitals as they are now increasingly burdened with indigent patients.
Our correspondent recalled
that there was a Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval and a public pronouncement that 50% subsidy has been approved for public hospitals. However, recent events in these hospitals, showed that this laudable pronouncement was only being observed in breach.
This was contained in a communique issued in Jos at the end of NEC meeting held in Katsina, Katsina State.
The theme and subtheme of the meeting is “Enhancing National Health Security: The Critical Role of Medical and Dental Consultants in Promoting Equity and Innovation in Nigeria’s Economically Challenging Landscape and Global Perspectives on Postgraduate Medical Career Development: An Insight on Managing the PhD/ Fellowship Dichotomy in Nigeria respectively.
The communique which was jointly signed by the MDCAN’s President Prof Mohammad Aminu and Secretary General Prof Daiyabu Alhaji respectively
warned that the development is inimical to quality health service delivery adding that federal government must not renege on their promise to subsidizes electricity in public hospitals in the country.
“MDCAN, as a body is passionate about the well-being of the patients and teeming Nigerian population.Concerted efforts must be made to look into this issue and make good the promise of subsidizing electricity to public hospitals”.
The Association also demanded for immediate halt and reversal of the consultant Pharmacy cadre adventure in order to maintain sanity and orderliness in patient care and well-being and not to throw the healthcare sector into an unnecessary and avoidable crisis.
NEC further commended the efforts of the Minister of Education Dr Maruf Tunji for improved welfare of Medical Lecturers stressing that these will encourage Medical Doctors to take up teaching appointment in the Medical Schools therefore supporting the Federal Governments policy of doubling the enrolment of medical students and training of postgraduate doctors in the teaching hospitals.
“This will boost Federal Government’s policy on Healthcare Workforce. They should urgently implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) addressing the long demand of universal applicability of CONMESS to all doctors across different government establishments”.
According to the communique MDCAN also reiterated the urgent need to address pay disparity amongst medical doctors who work in the Federal establishments and State-owned institutions and resolved to continue to press on this demand by engaging the leadership of Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) as well as individual State Governors, in order to stem the tide of internal migration from states owned hospitals to federal healthcare institution.
The Medical and Dental Consultants also noted with grave concern the increasing inflation rates which affects access to healthcare by causing increase in cost of services as well as drugs calling on Government to critically look into the possibility of reducing the pump prices of petroleum products, as a way to boost the economic power of the citizenry.
NEC further reiterated the position of Fellowship of Medical Postgraduate Colleges as the highest professional and academic qualification required for the training of doctors at undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as for the carrier progression.
The communique also commended the efforts of the Coordinating Minister of health and Social Welfare Prof. Muhammed Pate, and Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako for their roles leading to presidential approval for the increase in the retirement age for doctors and other healthcare workers in the country.
