PREAMBLE: The National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria was established by Law in 1979, now Cap. N59 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal. It was set up as the body at the Apex of Medical Education in Nigeria and its main function is to produce specialists in all branches of Medicine and Dentistry. This is done through the organization of the curricula for professional postgraduate education in the various specialized branches of Medicine and Dentistry; and the conduct of professional postgraduate examination of candidates to certify them as Specialists. Section 3 of the Enabling Law states that “The College shall consist of 

all Fellows of the College”.

 

In view of this, the 9th Annual Scientific Conference and All Fellows’ Congress of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria was held in Uyo from the 12th to the 16th of August 2014.

 

The Opening Ceremony was held at the Le Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort on the 13th of August 2014 with the theme: Attainment of the Millennium Developmental Goals: The Journey so far.

 

PROCEEDINGS

The plenary and scientific sessions were held at the E-Library on the 14th and 15th of August 2014. Topics that were discussed included:2

1. Health care financing- The role of government and the role of Public-Private partnership.

2. The burden of infectious diseases in Nigeria

3. The role of Human Papilloma Virus vaccination in the prevention of cancer of the cervix.

4. The effects of insecurity on the health of Nigerians

All-Fellows Congress was held at the E-library on the 15th of August 2014

 

OBSERVATIONS

1. Low level of expertise among medical specialists and poor equipping of many tertiary health institutions in Nigeria.

2. Poor budgetary allocation to the health sector by the federal and state governments in Nigeria.

3. Low level of coverage of the national health insurance scheme and the lack of health insurance in many states of the Federation.

4. High level of infectious diseases among children largely due to poor personal hygiene and poor environmental sanitation.

5. Lack of potable water in many rural communities in Nigeria and inadequate housing for the rural populace.

6. High cost of vaccination against cervical cancer among Nigerian women, which is above the reach of the average Nigerian. 

7. The importation of the dreaded Ebola virus into Nigeria and the casualty already suffered by medical and health personnel who were involved in the management of the affected victim.3

8. The lack of preparedness of many hospitals in Nigeria to effectively manage any eventuality of mass casualty.

9. The recent circular from the Presidency announcing the suspension of the residency training programme in Nigeria.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations were made at the end of deliberations at the conference:

1. Management of teaching hospitals and other tertiary health institutions in Nigeria should explore opportunities to utilize public-private partnership to make high-tech specialist health care services available in their institutions.

2. Governments in Nigeria at all levels should scale up the budgetary provision to the health sector in line with recommendations of the World Health Organization.

3. Funds earmarked for the health sector should actually be released and utilized to improve the quality of health care in the country through training of medical and health personnel and equipping of the institutions.

4. Governments in Nigeria should explore the use of health insurance scheme towards the attainment of universal health coverage for the country.

5. Training of pupils especially at the primary school level should include personal hygiene, etiquette and environmental sanitation in order to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases among children.

6. Governments at all levels, especially local governments should provide potable water and affordable housing to the rural populace to help reduce the incidence of infectious diseases.4

7. The Nigerian government should subsidize the cost of vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in order to make it affordable to the majority of Nigerians. This would help prevent HPV-associated cancers, notably cancer of the cervix.

8. Doctors in Nigeria have been enjoined not to panic at the Ebola virus infection epidemic that has erupted in the West African sub region and the attendant casualty recorded among medical and health personnel, but rather to acquire the right knowledge on how to stay safe, and to use personal protective equipment while attending to patients.

9. Governments should make provision for regular training of medical and health workers as well as regular public health enlightenment on the Ebola virus infection.

10.Government should assist tertiary and secondary health care institutions in Nigeria to put structures, personnel, equipment and protocols in place in order to prepare for the management of mass casualties in the event of any terrorist attack, mass accident or natural disaster.

11. The Federal government should urgently reconsider its position on the announced suspension of the Residency Training Programme in Federal Tertiary Health Institutions because of the negative impact this will have on the health sector of the country in the long run.

 

Prof R. A. Arogundade FMCR, PNMC (College President)

Prof. Oluwole A. Atoyebi, FMCS (College Registrar)