Posted on: Wed 22-05-2013

Dearth of funds is threatening the recommencement of the overseas clinical programme for doctors which the Federal Government reintroduced last December, the Nigerian Medical Association, (NMA) has revealed.

Also, the NMA has sought the support of the nation’s legislators for political and legislative backing for a national holiday for health check up.

Following approval by the Federal Government, the Ministry of Health last September reintroduced the overseas component of the residency programme for doctors and assured that the first batch would leave shortly afterwards.

But eight months afterward the policy was reintroduced, there is no sign of progress as unavailability of money has stalled the project.

President of the NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, who raised the alarm on the development at the weekend, called on the National Assembly to step into the issue. He spoke when he visited the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tawbawal in Abuja.

Enabulele said:  “To improve Residency training, the overseas clinical attachment programme was recently reactivated by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health. Though it is still at a pilot stage, we wish to inform Mr. Speaker that poor budgetary provisions is already threatening to cripple this progressive programme.”

He added: “Residency training is the backbone of medical manpower and is also a potential fountain of scientific innovations in the field of medical research. We regret to state that this programme is still inadequately funded in Nigeria.

“In many of the Federal hospitals where training of resident doctors is carried out, funding for Residency training is either not budgeted for, or is non-existent or in some centres where attempts are made to finance it, it is extremely poor. Hence, update courses, exams and other course fees are not paid fully or promptly. The facilities on ground are no longer ideal for training.

It is in this light we wish to bring to the Speaker’s attention that the budgetary allocations to the training institutions for training of resident doctors and other health workers in the 2013 federal budget were drastically reduced by the National Assembly, with resultant restiveness amongst resident doctors in the various training institutions.”

He added: “As a result of the reductions, many of the local hospital budgets do not currently reflect provisions for training, thus relegating training and the innovative overseas clinical attachment programme, to the background.

To address this unfortunate situation, we strongly appeal for a supplementary budget for residency training for our institutions and for adequate budgetary provisions to be made in future budgets.”

He said: “To strengthen health awareness amongst Nigerians, improve the health seeking behaviour of Nigerians, and ultimately ensure a healthy polity, the NMA has called on government to declare a public holiday once a year dedicated to health check up by Nigerians.”

The NMA president stressed that the association had commenced re-organisation and reformation of the health practice environment and restoration of professional dignity with implementation of clinical governance and prosecution of a total war on quackery and unethical healthcare practices in Nigeria.

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