By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
As Nigeria marks Democracy Day on Thursday, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State Chairman, Dr Happy Adedapo, has urged governments to improve on the budgetary allocation to the health sector.
Adedapo made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan.
He said that the budgetary allocation to the health sector, both at the Federal and State levels, was very poor.
“The standard is that not less than 15 per cent should be allocated to the health sector but no government has exceeded even 10 per cent over the years.
“So, there is need for our governments to reconsider what they allocate to health sector for more efficient healthcare system in the country,” he said.
He advised the government to put frameworks in place that would ensure that whatever money released should get to the end users.
Adedapo urged government to be paying rural allowance for doctors to be motivated to work in rural areas.
“Government should find a way to get its institutions to generate their own electricity because facilities such as steady power supply is necessary in hospitals.
“Let health workers be equipped with the adequate equipment to work with.
“Government should dedicate fund for the training and retraining of health workers,” he said.
Adedapo said that the Oyo state government had to some extent, improved on the primary healthcare aspect, enrollment of more people in the Oyo state health insurance scheme, among others.
According to him, there is still a long way to go for the health sector in the state.
“Doctors in the state teaching hospital(Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital) are not well treated.
“The institution was designed to compete with the premier hospital in Ibadan but over the years, political games had been played there.
“The doctors in that place have not been paid their medical residency training fund, apart from their hazard allowance that was improved on, no other thing, no minimum wage paid; the doctors have likely left the country.
“Those left are being overworked and burdened. The state government should do its best to sustain the place and workers,” Adedapo said.
The Oyo state NMA boss also emphasised that the welfare package for health workers in the state and country should be improved on for the sector to make more progress and not collapse.
“There should be incentives such as car loans and facilities to keep them working,” he said.
Contributing, Dr Muhammed Odedeji, Medical Director, Ashamby Hospital, Moniya, Ibadan, told NAN that there was improvement in the Oyo state health sector.
Odedeji, however, frowned at the fact that there was the negative aspect of government not being able to keep their word on commitments to workers in the healthcare system.
According to him, their salaries compared to what people received, outside Nigeria is nothing to write home about.
The former Oyo State NMA Spokesperson urged the government to continue to have the will to improve the health sector.
Odedeji called for continuous training and retraining for the newly employed staff and all medical practitioners so that they would be updated.
He also said that the improvement in primary health care in the state should be sustained.
“We commend the Oyo State Government for the free surgical health outreach being done in the state.
“People who require minor surgical operations like hernia, breast lumps, hydrocoele, lipoma etc are being attended to free with provisions of medications for them.
“The salaries and welfare of the staff should be increased; this would reduce the ‘japa’ syndrome because a number of people who wish to travel abroad will stay.
“If they have good welfare, good housing system, the salary is top notch and there is good health insurance for people, no body will want to go abroad and do slavery.
“They should also treat the workers well when they retire; the gratuity should not be taking years before they get it, many would have died before then,” Odedeji said. (NAN)
