Medical, Dental Consultants Identify Factors Hampering Good Healthcare Delivery

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The President, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Dr. Victor Makanjuola, yesterday identified the myriads of challenges bedeviling the health sector to inappropriate remuneration for members, worsening brain drain, inadequate infrastructure in hospitals, as well as generally unsatisfactory conditions of service.

Speaking in Benin city, the Edo State capital, during the MDCAN 2022 National Executive Council (NEC) meeting with theme: ‘Needed Entrepreneurial Skills In Medical Practice In Nigeria To Reverse Brain Drain And Outward Medical Tourism To Brain Gain’, Makanjuola said the meeting will proffer pragmatic solutions to the various challenges affecting the nation’s health sector.

The medical expert assured that meeting will also provide its members opportunity to brainstorm on strategies and policies towards sustainable growth, entrepreneurship, and general development of the association.

“The meeting will provide useful resolutions and recommendations for engaging the policy makers on how best to revamp the nation’s healthcare system,” Makanjuola said.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) and Chairman National Eye Health Committee, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Prof. Afekhide Ernest Omoti, said the meeting coming at a critical time as this, is crucial to stakeholders in repositioning the health sector, particularly in proffering solutions to issues of brain drain, insecurity, inflation, poor wages, unemployment and burnout of the medical doctor. 

“Benin 2022 promises to be an interesting meeting coming at a time that there are so many issues plaguing medical practice in Nigeria and at a critical time in our democracy. Of particular importance is the ceaseless brain drain, insecurity, inflation, poor wages, unemployment and burnout of the medical doctor. 

“We specially appreciate the financial support of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, the Chief Medical Directors of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo Specialist Hospital, all the consultants in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, and all our other sponsors. We also appreciate the Edo state government for their support,” Omoti said.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Alhaji Mahmud Mamman, represented by Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Darlington Obaseki, expressed government’s commitment in tackling brain drain by ensuring that healthcare workers that leave are replaced automatically without resort to obtaining approvals.

“One of our proposed interventions is the ‘One for one replacement policy’ for existing medical staff in our hospitals. Healthcare workers that leave are replaced without resort to obtaining approvals. We believe that this would go a long way towards addressing the present brain drain,” Mamman said.