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Tag: NMA

  • N21.7m fraud: Doctors make moves to quash charges

    N21.7m fraud: Doctors make moves to quash charges

    Five former executive members of the Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), standing trial over alleged N21.7m fraud, have prayed the court to quash the charges against them.

    Emmanuel Ighodaro (chairman) Anthony Owolabi, Quincy Atoghengbe, Raymond Ogieva and Oseremen Gabriel Ogbebor were arraigned before the state High Court on January 31 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    They were accused of conspiracy to commit felony, fraudulent false accounting and stealing of about N21.7 million belonging to the Edo State chapter of the NMA.

    The accused persons, who were executive members of the state NMA between 2013 and 2014, pleaded not guilty to the 21-count charge and were granted bail.

    At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to EFCC, Ben Ubi, told the court that counsel to the defendants have filed separate applications, seeking its leave to quash the charges and also challenge the court jurisdiction the matter.

    The presiding judge, Justice Efe Ikponwmonba, adjourned case to March 20, for definite hearing.

  • Incessant communal crisis, insurgency, others hindering immunization in Nigeria – NMA

    Incessant communal crisis, insurgency, others hindering immunization in Nigeria – NMA

    The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has the disturbing rate of insurgency and communal crisis among other factors are the main hindrances against adequate immunization coverage in the country.

    Vice Chairman of NMA in Cross River State, Dr Agam Ayuk, told reporters in Calabar during the opening of the 2017 Physician’s Week that immunization coverage in Nigeria was declining due to insurgency and recorded cases of communal crisis.

    The event had as its theme, “Declining Immunization Coverage, Threat to National Security and Development: The Way Forward’’.

    Ayuk, who is also the Chairman of the Physician’s Week, said riverine and other hard-to-reach areas communities were also hindering the holistic coverage of immunization in the country.

    He said that it was time for the state and federal government to take bold steps in restoring peace and security in all nook and crannies of the country, to protect the lives of health workers in areas of crisis.

    He worried that about 70 percent of immunization sponsorship comes from development partners, which is also on the decline, adding that it was important for government at all levels to adequately fund the health system.

    The Director General of Cross River Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu, said the state has over 464 hard-to-reach communities in the state.

    Edu said that with 959 health facilities across the state, it has become very difficult to access the 464 hard-to-reach communities either by land or sea for immunization coverage.

    “Our immunization programme in the state is geared towards reduction of childhood morbidity and mortality through adequate immunisation coverage of all risk populations’’, she said.

    The keynote Speaker, Dr Bassey Ikpeme, Chief Consultant, Community Medicine, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, advised government at levels to recruit more doctors and nurses into the health sector.

    Ikpeme, urged governments all levels, to invest greatly on the development of primary healthcare centres across the country.

  • Ebola, Lassa Fever: Don’t drop your guards yet, NMA warns FG, Nigerians

    Ebola, Lassa Fever: Don’t drop your guards yet, NMA warns FG, Nigerians

    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has alerted Nigerians on the need to be alert on the outbreak of the Lassa fever and Ebola viruses by not dropping the preventive measures as highlighted in 2013 when the epidemic broke out.

    This was revealed in an interview on Monday by Dr. Tunde Olawepo, the Chairman of the Association in Kwara.

    He noted that the government and people have relaxed measures that were initiated to contain the spread of Ebola at its outbreak in 2013.

    According to him, surveillance of travellers entering the country has stopped just as people had relaxed with personal hygiene like regular washing of hands and use of sanitisers.

    “People have stopped using hand sanitisers and frequent hand washing as before.

    “We need to step up with preventive measures and this means people must keep up with hygiene at all times,” he said.

    The physician warned that if these measures were not sustained these contagious diseases could resurface.

    The NMA chairman also advocated for a psychological examination of people aspiring to hold sensitive positions in the government.

    He explained that psychopaths abound in society who appeared to be many normal but need psychological examination to confirm the true state of health.

    “Predicting signs of abnormality in people assigned with taking decisions that affect the country is a duty of the government,” he said.

    Olawepo also urged Nigerians to be whistle-blowers against those who abuse hard drugs before driving as to promote a healthy society.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that some states in the nation recently witnessed an upsurge in the spread of the virus with several deaths already recorded.

     

     

     

  • Reveal your health status, NMA urges Buhari

    Sequel to information making the rounds of his deteriorating health condition, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to disclose his health status to Nigerians.

    The President of the NMA, Mike Ogirima, who gave this advice, noted that Buhari’s disclosure of his health status would douse tension and rumours about his well-being.

    Ogirima described Buhari as the number one public servant and the father of the nation, adding that he had his rights and privileges.

    The NMA President stated, “He is the number one public servant and the father of the nation. He has rights and privileges. It will douse a lot of rumours and tension, if he discloses his health status to the public.”

    He also faulted the management of the information concerning Buhari.

    “The media team of the Presidency is not managing it (information around the President) well.

    “To the Presidency, I wish they could manage the information around the President well. To Nigerians, who are concerned, I wish to advise them to be prayerful, particularly for the good health of our dear father of the nation,” he told newsmen on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, three medical doctors reportedly arrived Nigeria on Thursday, to attend to Buhari at the Presidential Villa.

    TheNewsGuru.com gathers that the doctors are said to be British and Caucasian nationals – two males and one female.

  • NMA asks govt to withdraw directive to replace striking doctors

    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the threat by the Federal Ministry of Health to employ temporary doctors to replace resident doctors currently on a warning strike.

    The association made the demand in a statement jointly signed by its President Prof. Mike Ogirima, and Secretary-General, Dr Yusuf Sununu, and issued in Abuja on Saturday.

    Members of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wednesday, Jan. 18, began a seven-day strike which is expected to end on Wednesday, Jan. 25.

    NMA noted that the government made the threat in a circular issued on Thursday by the Director of Health Services of the Federal Ministry of Health to Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Tertiary Hospitals.

    The association emphasised that members of NARD were on strike to enforce their unmet demands which bordered on the poor state of health of Nigerians and the welfare of its members.

    It identified the issues as unattractive poor working environments in public hospitals, which was continually weakening the health workforce through brain drain.

    It noted efforts to distort the harmony among healthcare workers by some individuals within the Federal Ministry of Health which were threatening to completely derail the health system.

    It said NARD was bothered by the selective and biased implementation of the contents of various government circulars and agreements with regard to the remuneration of doctors.

    It described the alleged distortions as a perfect indication of a lack of political will to end the prolonged crisis in the health sector.

    It said NARD was also concerned about the delay in bringing out a white paper on the various postgraduate medical training programmes in Nigeria.

    “The poor state of our health institutions has not been in doubt as demonstrated by the World Health Organisation ranking the Nigerian Health System as number 187 among 191 countries in 2015.

    “The repeated patronage of foreign hospitals by our top government officials and increasing medical tourism to hospitals overseas by well to do Nigerians,’’ NMA noted were among issues of concern to NARD.

    The association said that the issues in dispute had already been resolved at meetings mediated by the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, in 2016.

    It said, “Agreements with timelines for implementation were reached with the Federal Ministry of Health, NARD and the NMA on 14th July 2016.

    ‘’Regrettably, these agreements and timelines have again been breached by the Federal Ministry of Health.

    “We, therefore, call on the Honourable Minister of Health to urgently and decisively deal with the saboteurs of government policies within the Federal Ministry.

    “It is expedient that government works urgently to sincerely address all the issues that are responsible for the on-going crises in the Nigerian healthcare sector to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.’’

    It added: “NMA wishes to state explicitly that it will not fold its arms and watch the training of medical specialists and the healthcare system being desecrated by any individual or clique.

    “We shall exploit every means within the law to ensure that justice is done and that the Residency Training Programme, all doctors practising in Nigeria and the welfare of all healthcare workers are treated with the utmost seriousness they deserve.’’

    The association restated its commitment to ensure close monitoring of the developments and called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on government officials not to further jeopardise the health of Nigerians.

    The current threat is not the first time that government has threatened to sack striking doctors.

    In June 2016 the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, directed chief executive officers of Federal Government tertiary health institutions to fill vacancies created by resident doctors on strike.

    The Goodluck Jonathan administration also sacked 16,000 resident doctors on Aug. 14, 2014, for participating in a strike.

    The doctors, who were on strike for more than six months, especially during the Ebola outbreak in the country, were recalled two weeks after the directive.

  • PHOTOS: Uyo church collapse victims on intensive medicals

    The office of the Akwa Ibom state ministry of health has released photos of recent Reigners’ Bible Church Int’l Inc collapse victims presently receiving intensive medical care at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo.

    The tragedy, which occurred on Saturday 10 December 2016, almost took the life of the state governor, Governor Udom Emmanuel, who was present for the ordination of the presiding bishop of the church.

    While the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has since released the official number of casualties in the Saturday’s collapse of the church, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sympathy with the families of the victims of the church building collapse.

    Here are photos of some doctors and other medical personnel performing surgical operations on some of the victims of the collapsed church:

    ImageFile: PHOTOS: Uyo church collapse victims on intensive medicals2

    ImageFile: PHOTOS: Uyo church collapse victims on intensive medicals3

    ImageFile: PHOTOS: Uyo church collapse victims on intensive medicals4

    Meanwhile, Governor Udom has called for the immediate arrest of the contractors and engineers of the church building for a probe into the incident.

  • Uyo church collapse: NMA releases casualty figures, calls urgent support for victims

    Uyo church collapse: NMA releases casualty figures, calls urgent support for victims

    The Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, has released the official number of casualties in Saturday’s collapse of Reigners Bible Church in Akwa Ibom.

    The NMA also called for urgent blood donations for victims who are battling for survival at the hospital.

    In a statement signed by the NMA Chairman, Akwa Ibom State branch and South-South Zone, Dr. Aniekeme Aniefiok Uwan (JP), the association mourned with families of the deceased.

    The statement read: “On behalf of all the Medical and Dental Practitioners under the auspices of the Nigerian Medical Association (MMA), Akwa Ibom State branch, I wish to commiserate with all the families of those who lost their loved ones during and after the collapse of the Reigners Bible Church building on 10th December 2016.

    “I also share in the grief, pains, frustrations and suffering of all the survivors who had incurred one form of injury or the other.

    “Indeed this is a very trying and difficult moment for all of us as our state has never been faced by a disaster of this magnitude with attendant huge casualties.

    “As patriots, we have to rise to the occasion by being our brothers’ keepers and lending a helping hand to those in need.

    “I therefore, wish to sincerely commend all the members of the NIGERIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (NMA), AKWA IBOM STATE BRANCH, for heeding the call to selfless service as expressed in the prompt and timely response that has saved so many lives.

    “The response team led by a past Chairman of the association, DR JOHN UDOBANG, has done a good job in ensuring that victims of this very unfortunate disaster are well catered for and treated at the various health facilities in the state.

    “Reports from the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) show that 21 people were Brought In Dead (BID), while 2 out of the 23 that were undergoing treatment died due mainly to severe bleeding( One of the victims is reported to have been transfused with 9 pints of blood).

    “I also wish to express our sincere gratitude to all those who have heeded our clarion call to donate blood. More blood is still needed. The number of lives your pint of blood will save can’t be underestimated.

    “I also call on all the survivors who had suffered any form of trauma to report to the various health facilities for proper medical examination as blunt injuries could lead to internal bleeding and avoidable deaths.

    “In conclusion, I assure all the members of the public, that as a responsible and proactive association, we will not rest on our oars until all the lives of the survivors are saved and they are discharged from the hospitals back to their families.

    “Lastly, I pray God to grant the families of all those who lost their lives the fortitude to bear the loss and may the souls of the faithful departed, Rest In Perfect Peace (RIP). Amen.”

     

  • Wike flags off N500million Private Hospitals Loan Scheme

    Wike flags off N500million Private Hospitals Loan Scheme

    The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, in order to ensure that more residents of his State have access to quality healthcare, has on Wednesday flagged off the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme.

    According to information emanating from the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, the first batch of the scheme will witness 37 hospitals in the State access N500 million to upgrade their facilities and improve service delivery to the people of the State, adding that while seven of the beneficiaries are non-indigenes, 30 are from Rivers State.

    Flagging off the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Governor Wike urged the private medical practitioners to apply the loans judiciously, assuring the beneficiaries that while the State government will pay the interest on the loans on behalf of them, they are expected to pay the principal sum.

    “This loan is for the private hospitals to improve their facilities. It is not meant for the owners of the hospitals to solve personal problems.

    “Private hospitals are critical to healthcare delivery in the state, hence our decision to create this loan scheme to support their improvement,” Wike said.

    He noted that the beneficiaries of the N500 million loan will form the first batch, pointing out that their successful application of the funds will lead to another batch.

    In his remarks, Rivers State Health Commissioner, Dr Theophilus Odagme lauded the Governor for his investment in the health sector.

    The commissioner said 17 General Hospitals are presently being rehabilitated by the Wike Administration, while majority of the resolutions of the meeting the Governor held with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) are being implemented.

    The Health Commissioner appealed to the private medical practitioners to pay back the loans, so that others can benefit.

    Representative of the NMA, Dr Ibitoru Korubo, said that the Governor’s intervention will help in reviving the health sector in the state.

    Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Dr Sunny Obele of Sonabel Medical Centre Eleme said that the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme should be emulated by other states and the Federal Government.

    He said that the intervention is relevant because 80 per cent of Nigerians access healthcare through private health facilities.