Stakeholders decry the worrisome state of Nigeria's healthcare system.... As Federated Chapel celebrates 2023 Annual Lecture

By Isaac Eranga 

The poor state of Nigeria's healthcare system and the migration of medical professionals to foreign lands orchestrated by good working condition once again came under serious scrutiny at the annual lecture of the Federated Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, held in Benin city. 

Stakeholders at the lecture decried the worrisome state of the sector and blamed both the federal and state governments for paying lip services to the issue of adequate funding and the welfare of healthcare professionals. 

Speaking at the theme "Brain Drain: the Way out for the Medical Profession"  the President of the World Medical Association (WMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele  particularly blamed both the federal and the state governments for the rot in the healthcare sector, explaining further that the migration of healthcare professionals is triggered by the dearth of basic facilities including water, constant electricity, gloves, drugs, etc and further compounded by the poor welfare packages of the professionals. 

He posited further that the brain drain syndrome  involving the mass exodus of healthcare practitioners could be reversible if the various arms of government are alive to their responsibilities to the citizenry.

Decrying the frequent rush of the political elites to foreign countries for medical tourism at the detriment of patronizing Nigeria's local healthcare facilities, he said that the trend, as ugly as it seems, not only stifles the modernisation of our local medical facilities but also the non-patronage of the trained local medical professionals 

In particular, he reasoned that the country stands to lose given the declining state of the health sector which is not being adequately funded and can no longer attract and retain fresh medical professionals willing to pursue medicine as a career 

"The painful truth is that the neglect of the health sector over the years has done us more bad than good. We are losing our skilled professionals at a faster rate than ever. The government must brace up and nip the ugly trend in the bud because, by the time the whole thing blows up, it will not be a child's play", he said.

Dr. Enabule called for an urgent and drastic reform of the sector in terms of funding, training, provision of world-class medical facilities, and the restriction of public officials as well as office holders from going on medical tourism to foreign lands. Above all, he made a series of suggestions on how to stem the rot in the sector. 

Of paramount concern to him was the upward review of the medical training course content, hazard allowances paid for doctors on housemanship, improved security for the doctors on call duty, given the rampant cases of abduction, as well as insurance cover.

Speaking on the theme "Unraveling the Nexus of Bad Governance and Irregular Migration, the Media as a Desired Catalyst", a guest lecturer-  Dr  Obakhedo Nevile  opined that Migration is not bad in itself as People migrate for different reasons but it becomes dangerous when Citizens engage in illegal and irregular migration.

Dr. Nevile pointed out that inadherence  to the tenets  of good governance by Public Office holders  have resulted to Citizens seeking for self survival  by engaging in acts inimical to the development of the Country .

“A major solution path that we could thread is to enhance the capacity of the Nigerian State to deliver on good governance as against bad governance which must commence with the deconstruction and reconstruction of the character of elites who have use instrumentalists of the State to promote their parochial and sentimental interests, thereby weakening the capcity of the State to deliver dividend of democracy to the people.”

According to Mr Neville, Media must set agenda for government by organizing periodic Town Hall meetings in all local government areas across the State for the purpose of sensitizing the populace against the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking .

Speaking also, the Chairman of the occasion-. Prof Henry Oghoator stressed that the media should not relent from  providing adequate information relating to bad governance and dangers of embarking on  irregular migration to the People.

He further said that newsmen must wake up to their responsibility of Agenda setting and interrogate  those occupying public offices to ensure they are living up to expectation.

“I emphtaize with Journalists in State owned media houses because they face a daunting task of reporting on bad governance, suffice to mention that the organized media is either to wake up or they will become irrelevant because of the advent of the social media whose information is passed around in minutes.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Festus Alenkhe  charged  Journalists in the State to interrogate Public Office Holders based on their manifestoes and report when  they are doing well and where they are not in other to promote good governance in the country.

Comrade Festus added that for Nigeria to attain the heights citizens want, patriotic citizens must stay back and contribute their quota to the development of the country.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of Federated Chapel, Comrade Mercy Onyenweli task stàkeholders and newsmen to hold those in authority accountable to provide good governance to the people. According to her, irregular migration could only be reduced when the country is secured and economically viable for it's Citizens. She however called on public office holders to eschew the old ways and ensure the citizens are carried along in their programs.

Goodwill Messages came from the Assistant Deputy Comptroller of Nigeria Immigration services, Dr. wale. A,  the Zonal Commander of NATIP, Barr. Nduka Nwannewenne and the Federal Commission on Code of Conduct Bureau Hon E. J. Agbonayinma

The Chapel however officially decorated her first Patron, Apostle Gordon Ada Osagiede Gordon as Honors were presented to the Chairman of NUJ, Comrade Festus Alenkhe and his Secretary, Comrade Andy Egbon respectively.