The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says the public health sector in Nigeria is in precarious state and requires something urgent to address the situation.
NMA said the unchecked brain drain and paucity of funds has contributed exceedingly to the parlous situation of things.
The association raised the concern on Tuesday at the official opening of the 2022 scientific conference,
At the conference, titled: ‘National Health Authority Act – The Sound Bites’, held in Ibadan, the Oyo capital, the association that with the trend of medical doctors leaving the country, there may be a need to hire doctors from foreign countries in the future.
According to the NMA, a total collapse of the health system is imminent if urgent steps are not taken to address the situation.
Ayotunde Fasunla, the Oyo NMA chairman, called for a state of emergency on the health sector, adding that the poor state of government-owned medical facilities is something to be concerned about.
“The infrastructure deficit is such that some of our hospitals spend a significant amount of their internally-generated revenue on diesel to ensure power supply,” he said.
“There is scarcity of funds to apply for equipment upgrade, manpower development or even recruitment of new staff. Many of our hospitals are grossly under-staffed. Even the process of replacing migrating staff is bogged down by a rigid and insensitive government bureaucracy.
“It is our plea to the government to commit more funds to the health sector so that the system does not collapse.
“Only healthy people can have the will and strength to contribute to the growth and development of a nation’s economy.
“Therefore, I call on well-meaning Nigerians, philanthropists, and non-governmental organisations to join hands with the government to improve the conditions of the health system in the nation, especially Oyo state. It is obvious that the government cannot handle it alone.”