NMA President visits Interior Minister, seeks stronger ties with the Ministry of Interior
– Steve Ovirih.
The leadership of the Nigeria Medical Association led by the President, Dr. Francis Faduyile has paid a scheduled courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of the Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in his office.
The visit , a familiarisation schedule presented the NMA an avenue to discuss ways of working together for cohesion between the ministry and the medical association towards consolidating the change agenda for the next level by the incumbent government.
In his four page address at the meeting, the NMA President, Dr. Francis Faduyile appreciated Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the Interior ministry for granting them audience despite his busy schedule.
While saluting the resolve of the all important ministry of Interior to drive the change agenda of the Federal Government to the next level, Dr Faduyile said the NMA has observed with delight the fact that the ministry has met the statutory role assigned to it thereby improving the economic and social wellbeing of the citizenry.
However, Dr Faduyile stressed that his association will appreciate a stronger working relationship with the Ministry of the Interior, noting that the ministry is well positioned for a healthy collaboration with the NMA because of its strategic mandate and the sensitive paramilitary outfits of government under it’s watch. ” We in the NMA as custodian of people’s health will seek a stronger tie and collaboration as well as proactive actions with the Ministry of Interior towards attaining the change agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for the next level,” Dr. Faduyile said.
While the NMA appreciates the efforts of the government , it says there is need for more to be done towards ensuring better welfare of the Nigerian citizenry.
On areas that collaboration between the NMA and the Ministry of Interior can be enhanced , Dr Faduyile listed the following:
. Collaboration in offering training for security personnel and seeking ways of providing minor health checks for members of the different para military agencies under the stable of the ministry of Interior.
.Provision of Basic Life Support for security personnel in the para military outfits.
. Allowing Medical practitioners in the Para military agencies to join other officials during NMA meeting and function to gain in the continuous training and retraining of members of NMA.
. Ensuring the use of Doctors’ stamps in all medico- legal documents towards curbing quackery in the noble profession.
Dr. Faduyile appealed to the Government through the ministry of Interior to beef up security around public hospitals in Nigeria, stressing that kidnapping and killing of medical doctors is becoming a recurring phenomenon in Nigeria. He noted that the ministry can deploy members of the NSCDC Corp to government hospitals as this will be a measure of strengthening the security architecture of our health facilities in a way the NMA will gladly appreciate.
The NMA arrow head observed that there has been the influx of expatriates within the Nigerian Health sector without necessary regulations . ” Many of the new hospitals are recruiting foreign medical personnel without ensuring the employment of Nigerian medical personnel . We must enforce the indigenization of Nigerian firms and establishment,” he maintained.
Dr Faduyile implored the ministry of Interior to seek the inclusion of NMA members in the NEMA team, stressing that while there was an understanding between government and NMA to that effect, the DG of NEMA is yet to effect the inclusion of NMA members in the NEMA emergency team. He equally noted that to prevent the parading of fake medical reports at the tpoint of recruitment into the Nigerian Para military forces, the ministry of Interior should allow the NMA to be actively involved in recruitment processes so that the use of Doctors’ stamp can be affixed to medical reports .
In his reaction , the Minister of the Interior thanked the NMA leadership and promised to act promptly on their requests.
