Posted on: Wed 19-05-2021

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) MEETING HELD FROM 24TH – 28TH JANUARY 2021 AT VILLA GRANDE HOTEL, JOS, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA COMMUNIQUÉ 

PREAMBLE 

The MDCAN National Executive Council meeting was held from the 24th to 28th Apri12021. The theme of the conference was "Healthcare Delivery in the Face of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases". The subthemes were "Brain drain and its effect on medical education in Nigeria" and "Managing Non-Communicable Diseases in the COVI D-19 era: challenges and options for Optimal Care" The opening ceremony was chaired by Prof. Seddi Sebastian Maimako, Vice- Chancellor, University of Jos who was ably represented by Prof. Ishaya Tanko, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic). The Special guest of Honour was the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Ishaya Abok who was ably represented by the Chairman House committee on Health, Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Daniel Nanbol Listik, while Prof. Edmund Banwat, the Chief Medical Director of the Jos University Teaching Hospital was the Chief Host. The theme lecture was delivered by Prof. Ayuba Ibrahim Zoakah, a foremost Public Health Physician. Lectures on the subthemes were delivered by Prof. Nuhu Kutan Dakum a foremost urological surgeon and Prof. Jeremiah Khutak Aboi Madald, the current National Chairman and Vice-President of the West African College of Physician. The NEC meeting which was attended by delegates from 58 branches across the length and breadth of the country deliberated on numerous issues pertinent to health care delivery in Nigeria, welfare of members and the wellbeing of the nation and her people. During the meeting, the NEC observed as follows: 

1. That the security challenges across the nation are worsening in nature, frequency, magnitude and spread and have continued to be a heightening source of major concern to the people of this nation.
2. That the issue of the appointment of a Vice Chancellor for the Lagos State University is yet to be concluded following repeated petitions by faceless groups to scuttle the process by erroneously and mischievously claiming that the frontrunners in the process, our members, were not qualified for the position because they do not possess a PhD degree. For the avoidance of doubt, the highest qualification required from clinical lecturers is the Fellowship of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, the respective West African Colleges and their equivalents. Let us state that this primordial and narrow politics is highly condemnable especially coming out from the apogee of an Ivory Tower. 
3. That efforts of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) at combating the COVID-19 pandemic even with the second wave of COVID-19 infection is commendable while also urging the populace to be cautious since the virus is still present with us. NEC also wishes to commend the federal government for the supply of the first tranche of the COVI D-1.9 vaccine and urge our people to accept the vaccine which so far has not been shown to be deleterious to man. 
4. That we read with consternation the recent circulars issued by the National Council of Establishment (NCE) addressing qualification for entry into the civil service in the county and the status of interns as in the civil service. These circulars appear woolly at best. Coming at a time the nation is experiencing a massive depletion of health workers to the other nations in unprecedented brain drain; these circulars are ill timed and might sound the death knell for the nation's health sector. 
5. That the non-payment of salaries and allowance to several cadres of health workers in the federal public service persists despite the assurances made to the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (HARD) at a meeting with representatives of the FGN which led to the suspension of the strike action. Affected health workers include all Interns, Medical officers, recently employed resident doctors, some Consultants and all contact staff. This has tremendous negative impact on these health workers' quality of life and consequently on their ability to deliver optimum service to deserving Nigerian people.
6. That the electricity distribution companies have been billing Hospitals across the county standard commercial rates despite the non-profit, social welfare nature of the services they provide. This has placed immense demands on the revenue of these institutions and has greatly hampered their ability to discharge their duties effectively. These has made services requiring power supply especially investigations in these Hospitals epileptic. 

After very exhaustive and robust deliberations, the NEC resolved as follows: 

• That there is need for the restructuring and reinvigoration of the security architecture of the county to combat the floundering current security situation. It is in our view that this is one very important step towards reclaiming our county from people bent on keeping our national and personal lives permanently disrupted. The political and military leadership of the county should not shy away from seeking help from relevant nations and international agencies in the fight against terrorism. 
• That the efforts at controlling COVID-19 as coordinated by the Presidential Task Force is yielding satisfactory results thus far and should be maintained to ensure consolidation of the successes recorded. We call for caution even as the economy is gradually reopening fully. We implore the general public to take personal responsibility for their own health and adhere to the non-pharmacological methods of COVID- 19 control as contained in periodic advisories. With an eye on the situations in India and a few other counties, we advise the President Task force to consider travel restrictions and advisory with respect to the nations experiencing catastrophic second and third waves of the pandemic as further precautions. That Federal Government should as a matter of priority ensure the payment of all outstanding COVID-19 hazard allowances to all persons entitled to such to prevent avoidable unrest in the health sector at this critical period. We call on all state government to equally match the efforts of the Federal government by ensuring that they provide COVID-19 related allowances and reliefs for health personnel in their employments. We implore the Government not to relent in further procurement of COVED-19 vaccines so as to have a reasonable coverage of the population to make a herd immunity achievable. Timely procurement will also make the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine available for the populace. 
• We strongly condemn repeated interference with the selection process of the Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University. Following the second process by the Governing Council, the appropriate organ of the University saddled with the responsibility of recommending candidates to the Visitor which has been adjudged by all objective observers as thorough and credible. We strongly advise the Visitor to the institution and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu not to yield to the cheap politics underpinning these petitions. He should bear in mind that any process that excludes candidates on the basis of PhD will plunge the institution into avoidable crisis and litigation. The judicial pronouncement in the matter of Prof. Ujah and NMA Plateau vs the University of Jos on the same issue would render any such process void. Both the Visitor and the Governing Council of the institution should therefore be appropriately guided. 
• We strongly urge the office of the Head of Service of the Federation to reconsider its previous pronouncement on the place of interns in the scheme of service and note that house officers have peculiarities by virtue of medical education that should exempt them from this policy. 
• We urge the government to pay all outstanding COVID -19 allowance while being proactive in the upward adjustment of the current paltry 5,000 naira monthly hazard allowance. We call on relevant agencies of Government to ensure the payment of all outstanding salaries and allowance to House Officers working in all federal Tertiary Hospital without further delay. Similarly, we demand the immediate payment of outstanding salaries for all health worker on the GIFMIS platform. 
• We call on the electricity distribution companies and other relevant government agencies to accord all public health institutions their right status and exempt them from the crushing electricity tariffs to enable them to continue to provide highly crucial health services to Nigerians.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

MDCAN expresses her profound gratitude to the Plateau state government, the Hon. Speaker, Plateau state House of Assembly, Hon. Ishaya Abok, the Hon. Commissioner of Health, Dr. Lar Ndam, the Vice Chancellor of University of Jos, Prof. Seddi Sebastian Maimako, the Chief Medical Director of Jos University Teaching Hospital, Prof Edmund Banat and the Provost, College of Health Sciences, University of Jos, Prof Simon Yiltok. The Association is also grateful to the theme speakers Prof Ai Zoakah, Prof. Nuhu Dakum  and Prof. Aboi Madaki for taking time out of their respective busy schedules to be with us at the opening ceremony. On behalf of the entire membership of MDCAN, the National Officers' Council (NOC) expresses our gratitude to the Jos University Teaching Hospital chapter of our Association for hosting this event.

Signed:

Prof. Ken Ozoilo 

President 

Dr. Moses Chingle

Secretary General 

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