President of Borno state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association
(NMA), Ali Mohammed-Ramat; has seek implementation of medical
residency training (MRT) Act overcome challenges in health sector.
According to him, the full execution of MRT Act; could address various
challenges in the health sector of state.
Ramat disclosed this Tuesday at the 2020 Annual Physicians’ Week in
Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
He said that the annual event, was to celebrate medical personnel’s
contribution to an effective and efficient healthcare delivery
services and research.
“Full implementation of MRT, was imperative to address challenges
bedeviling the health sector, particularly in getting skilled human
resources,” he said.
He said the domestication of medical Act, will provide opportunities
for medical personnel to review annual events in the health sector for
improvements.
“We’re deeply concerned with the increasing trend of suicide among
Nigerians,” he said, noting that coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, has
killed many people.
He said the 2020 physicians’ week also has the theme: “Strategies for
Health System Recovery during COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.”
According to him, while the sub-theme is dental cares among various
groups of people in communities.
While lamenting on COVID-19, he said” “The pandemic has been spreading
rapidly globally, with a considerable impact on the global morbidity,
mortality and healthcare utilization.
“Its effects also led to social and economic dislocations of families,
communities, state and the country at large.”
He said that implementation of MRT Act in State” Teaching Hospital
could mitigate the impact posed by health challenges.
Mohammad-Ramat noted that the neglected of public health disease in
Nigeria, increases the burden of dental services, despite advances in
the practices.
He said that the number of workforce of health personnel’s in the
state was a clear indications that they are inadequate to achieve the
Universal Health Coverage in the state.
He therefore urged the federal government to redeem its pledge of
allocation 15% of its budget allocations to health overcome challenges
in sector.
While speaking at annual event, Dr. Joseph Jatau, explained that
implementation of residency training could produce specialists in
various fields; to deliver modern healthcare delivery services to the
people.
He added that funds used to sponsor doctors for specialized various
fields abroad could be saved for other health projects.
“The huge resources saved in trainings could be used to improve the
health institutions or re-channeled to other people’s oriented
projects,” he said, thereby making healthcare available to all.
He also identified worsening security challenges and lack of requisite
manpower, particularly doctors, worst of which was the unavailability
of the required specialist and consultants.
