By Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna
Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has lamented deteriorated state of public health facilities in Kaduna state northwest Nigeria, urging on the Governor-Elect, Nasir El-Rufai to revive the sector when he takes over.
NMA State Chairman Dr. Muhammed S. Ibrahim disclosed this in an interview with newsmen.
He urged the governor-elect to put in place system that will attract medical doctors and specialists to work in the state.
He further added that their expectation of the new government is to have a new dawn in the health sector in the state.
According to him, research in the country showed that there are many unemployed doctors who are going about looking for job.
“We agree with the vision of the Governor-elect because it will help provide better policies and better healthcare services for the people of the state.
“Once these medical practitioners are attracted, the health care services will have to be strengthened within the state, thereby improving health indices.
“This in the long run will be more profitable than importing doctors who are not familiar with the health problems in Nigeria and who will need to be paid a higher cost.
“It will also help to accelerate the accreditation of Kaduna State University medical school.
“If this is done, it means, Kaduna state will be among the first northern states to produce its own doctors,” he said.
The NMA chairman advised the incoming government of El-Rufai to try and upgrade Barau Dikko hospital into a teaching hospital as quickly as possible.
According to him, doing so will make it easier to train medical students at the teaching hospital than sending them abroad to study Medicine.
He said Sending such students abroad is capital intensive and when they graduate, they will still have to write an examination with Medical and Dental Council in Nigeria before they can be licensed to practice in the country.
He expressed the Association’s commitment to work with Governor-elect for effective policy planning and implementation in the state.
