The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Kano State Chapter, has advised the Federal Ministry of Health, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, and other stakeholders to address the worsening brain drain in the country’s medical profession.
The chairman of the chapter, Dr Usman Ali, gave the advice on Monday at the opening of the 2022 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the association in Kano.
According to him, such an ugly trend could be halted through a reduction of medical examination fees at all levels.
“We advise the relevant authorities the Federal Ministry of Health, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to do all it could to reduce the current worsening brain drain in the country by bringing down examination fees at all levels,” he said.
Mr Ali further reminded the NMA members of the reported cases of monkeypox and the need to ensure necessary precautionary measures as WHO declared it a global health emergency.
He stated: “I will like to use this medium to remind us that monkey pox has also been reported in travelers from Nigeria to other parts of the world, as WHO declares monkeypox as a global health emergency. We should ensure preventive measures.”
The chairman also called on the Kano State Government to release the residency training allowances to doctors that are preparing for the forthcoming medical examinations.
While disclosing that NMA members would not participate in the nationwide protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, the chairman said the association would only support its affiliates that are affected by the lingering strike in Nigerian public universities.
“We have three of our affiliates that are part of the university system. We have the Association of Medical Doctors in the Academia, those that are teaching clinical students and Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria as well as doctors that work in the University Health Services.
“We have been supporting them in one way or the other and we will continue to support them until the issue is resolved,” he noted.
