Nigeria Medical Association Congratulation Message to Your Excellecncy Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and Your Excellency Kashim Shettima, GCON


Posted on: Tue 30-05-2023

The Nigerian Medical Association heartily congratulates Your Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and Your Excellency Kashim Shettima, GCON on your inauguaration as the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  

We pray that God grants you good health, strength, wisdom and courage to take Nigeria to a better place.  

Permit us to use this opportunity to present 7 recommendations that we believe will move the Nigerian Health Sector in the right direction.  

1. We humbly call for appropriate Health Sector financing with the Abuja 2001 Declaration of at least 15% of Annual National budget as target.  

This we believe will abate Medical tourism and attendant loss of financial resources.  

2. Improved Health workforce remuneration as a means of improving availability of scarce workforce and mitigating brain drain.  

3.The Federal Government should implement the provisions of the National Health Act 2014 in full to set our Health Sector on sound footing.  

4. The federal government should ensure that the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHPF) having been rolled out by the preceding administration gets improved appropriation, prompt releases and institute appropriate measures for accountability/measurable outcomes.  

5. We believe that every Nigerian life matters, therefore there is need to have a functional and effective social welfare scheme focusing on providing safety net (housing, food, basic education) and Universal Health Coverage for all Nigerians, especially the disadvantaged or vulnerable groups including pregnant women, children under 5 years of age, the aged, the extremely poor (persons living on less than US$1.90 daily), and the disabled.  

6. Government at all levels should address social issues affecting health (social determinants of health); these include poverty alleviation, women empowerment and education (particularly girl child education), water and sanitation, infrastructural development, tackling insecurity, employment and elimination of corruption.  

7. NMA calls for an audit of existing primary health centres (PHCs) and getting them equipped and well-managed. Nigeria under your leadership should work towards a Doctor-led Primary Health Care, because every country with an effective PHC which is the entry point to the performing, and cost-effective health system (the gate-keeping point) has achieved a doctor-led PHC.  

Your Excellency, as we wish you great success in office, please be assured of our unflinching support.  

NMA: "Vanguard for effective health care system"

Signed:

Dr. Uche R. Ojinmah

President  

Dr. Jide Onyekwelu

Secretary General