From Maurice Okafor,Enugu.
A public health physician at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital(UNTH), Ituku Ozalla near Enugu,Prof. BSC Uzochukwu,has described poor budgetary allocation and corruption as the bane of medical practice and services in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the annual budget allocated
to the health sector by successive administrations in Nigeria revolves around 3.59 percent of the total budget and coupled with corruption in our system,the health care system in Nigeria, has continued to derail.
According to him, the cumulative adverse effect of poor budgetary allocation to the health sector is one of the major cause of the current ‘Brain drain’dampening effective health services in Nigeria.
Prof. Uzochukwu,who also lectures at college of medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu campus, dropped this hints while speaking on the theme-‘Medical practice in a challenging environment:The case of Nigeria’ at the opening ceremony of ‘Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria( MDCAN) meeting, holding at Federal Neuropsychiatric hospital, Enugu.
He stressed that the current decay in the nation’s health sector which has reached a crescendo,trickled with appointment of unproffesionals to man the health sector,most especially during the military era and with the imposition of quacks
and uprofessionals in the management of our health sector,corruption penetrated the system.
He welcomed the avalanche of private hospitals as complementing health care delivery system in the country, but lamented the inability of the government to provide them with any form of support, instead they suffer multiple taxation from various arms of government.
Prof. Uzochukwu described long working hours and poor wages as part of the problems weighing the health workers in Nigeria down, therefore many are going abroad for greener pastures.
While condeming the heightening insecurity rate in the country as an additional hindrance to adequate health care delivery, Prof Uzochukwu assured that there is still hope of revitalising the health care system in Nigeria.
In his opening remarks. the President, Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria(MDCAN).Dr Victor Makanjuola, disclosed that the reason of the meeting is to articulate various problems confrontig the health sector in Nigeria, the solutions to the problems with a view of relating it to the authorities.
The Vice chancellor of University of Nigeria Nsukka(UNN), Prof Charles Arizechukwu Igwe, who was the chairman of the occasion, extolled MDCAN for thinking on how to resolve the various problems militating adequate health care delivery in Nigeria.
Prof Igwe who was represented by the deputy Vice chancellor, University of Nigerhja,Enugu campus(UNEC), tasked members to vote for the presidential candidate who will understand and work with the union to provide better health care for Nigerians.
The host,the Chief Medical DirectorFederal Neuro psychiatric hospital, Enugu, Prof Monday Igwe. told the participants to feel free to enjoy the leisure of the coal city throughout their stay, describing the residents as very hospitable.
The meeting which has gone into technical sessions will be rounded up tomorrow. It will produce a communique on the stand of MDCAN on ways of reviving health care delivery in Nigeria.
