The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised the alarm that no fewer than 48 medical doctors have been abducted across the country in the last two years. Its National President, Dr Francis Faduyile who said this in Akure during the association’s 2019 Physicians week described the development as worrisome and unacceptable.

 

Faduyile lamented that “Some of our members that were kidnapped in some cases even died in the kidnappers’ den. “At least two doctors have been kidnapped in two-third of the States across the country within the last two years. ” lt is worthy of note that all is not well with Nigerian doctors, the kidnapping of our members in the course of discharging their duties to the Nigerian state with some still in captivity. 

“Incessant harassment/assaults by patients and their relations and the unfortunate maltreatment by employers (government) ranging from poor general working environment and emoluments to irregular payment of salaries with arrears running to 12 months or more in some States. “Our members two in number kidnapped in Taraba in the last six months have not been released by their abductors. NMA’s Faduyile, therefore, appealed to government at all level to be more responsive and responsible to the welfare of Nigerian physicians who are making selfless sacrifices to sustain healthcare delivery in the country amidst challenges including incessant harassment, kidnapping in the line of duty. ” 

 

The abysmal physicians to patients ratio and rise in brain drain brought about mainly by the poor general working condition in the health sector He said the theme of this year’s Physicians week ” Care of the Unknown Patient” was chosen to bring to fore issues affecting Nigerians who suddenly find themselves in an unconscious state from traumatic cause to majorly road traffic accident or medical conditions. 

 

NMA regretted that the government “has not deemed it pertinent to accord the desired attention and value to this category of patients. “There is a lack of commitment to the implementation of the National Health Act which provides for the care of patients in an emergency situation. “There is no enduring policy to cater for victims of a road traffic accident which accounts for large numbers of unknown patients. Faduyile equally lamented that there is no policy statement that clearly addresses the various components of the emergency care service for victims of gunshot injury.

 

The association, therefore, called for “an enduring and unambiguous policy statement that takes into consideration the critical aspects of care in an emergency. “We advocate for the provision of defibrillators at the strategic public arena and health facilities for the prompt care of patients with a heart attack and related conditions either in the hospital setting or before taking such patients to a health care facilities for proper care.

 

Meanwhile, the former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko speaking as the Chairman of the 2019 Nigerian Medical Association week said: “Government has responsibility for Care of the unknown patient and must summon and also be helped to summon the necessary political will.” Dr Mimiko said current efforts to cater to citizens requiring emergency care as represented by the National Health Act 2014 must be made more practicable by decentralising the operationalization of its provisions. 

 

“Perhaps the potentially most impactful of the relevant laws is the National Health Act 2014, which does not only recognize the importance of State responsibility in EMS but goes ahead to attempt to enact a sustainable financing strategy,” The Act he said states that “the day-to-day implementation of the EMT gateway, including any commissioning that is required, shall be carried out by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) staff designated by the Minister of Health on the TMSOF’, a reality he says will create an administrative nightmare. 

 

“Why centralize when you can decentralize, devolve, (restructure), for better results?” he asked. Mimiko who said “every decent society should have a decent level of emergency medical services” added that Nigeria needs to up its ante. He added that “We must pay attention to and invest in technology as it is and will continue to disrupt settled assumptions in concept and practice in all fields, the medical profession inclusive. nd work towards decentralizing funding of emergency care as provided for in the National Health Care Act 2014.