Adewole: Resident Doctors are Necessary for Improved Healthcare Delivery

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja‎

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has urged all chief executive officers of tertiary health institutions to be strategic in strengthening healthcare delivery in the country through effective leadership and training of resident doctors as this, he said is the panacea for improved healthcare services.

The minister, who made the call at a national retreat for leaders of tertiary health institutions across the country in Abuja, further disclosed that there was need to put in place strategic plans that will move the healthcare sector forward.

Adewole therefore charged the leadership of the tertiary hospitals to improve on the management of the facilities in the different hospitals and put them on a high scale of priority.

Speaking on the training of resident doctors, he said much emphasis needs to be placed in this regard.”If the resident doctors are not properly trained, the healthcare system will be in chaos. There will be no doctors on ground to treat our relatives and friends,” he noted.

According to him, the doctors should be proactive in keeping in touch with the latest development in their various areas of specialisation.

“Most times, we talk about poor health indicators in the system, NMA can advocate for good healthcare management and ensure its implementation in the different locations where they are based,” he added.

Reacting to the issue of financial administration, the minister said there should be good accountability in the management of finance. “There can be no credible institution without auditing and proper inventory taking. The leadership should ensure there is no loophole in
the system, and due diligence must be followed,” he noted.

The Nigerian Medical Association President, Prof. Mike Ogirima in his speech, noted that all other workers in the health sector should stop seeing doctors as threat, but rather as partners to work together with in achieving a good healthcare delivery in the country .

Speaking further, he said to eradicate the hazard that doctors face in the line of duty, it is
appropriate to enrich its members with the necessary information and leadership skills that
will make the professionals to be at their best.

Hon. Umar Jega, representing the chairman House Committee on Tertiary Health Institutions, disclosed that inadequate funding is one of the major problems being faced in the administration of healthcare in Nigeria .

According to him, “there is a correlation between healthcare management, performance and result. Hence the need for government to put in place more welfare mechanisms to enhance the output of doctors,” he added.