The Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Imo state, yesterday, gave Governor Rochas Okorocha, 21 days ultimatum to fix the health sector of the state.
In a press statement issued to newsmen in Owerri, by the state Chairman of NMA, Dr. Darlington Akukwu, said the health sector is in danger.
According to the release, the government policies were not encouraging, as it has resulted to under funding of the hospitals in the state as well as loss of accreditation of college of medicine.
Chief Rochas Okorocha
The release read in parts, “The state executive council of the Nigeria Medical Association Imo state, had her emergency General meeting to examine the state of the health system in the state.
“And to appraise the difficult experienced by the good people of Imo state in assessing qualitative healthcare in the state-owned institutions, and came up with the following observations.
“We hereby declare a state of emergency on the state health sector and issues a 21 days ultimatum to the State government to address following issues.
Which include the underfunding of the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, IMSUTH, Orlu, that “the hospital lacks adequate personal.
“This is because; there is no specialist that would want to work in a place with poor remuneration and inadequate staff motivation.
“There is therefore need to increase the funding to the hospital to ensure sustained qualitative service delivery.
“Outstanding salaries and remuneration, include payment of arrears of 30 percent of expected salary of doctors in the hospital from January 2016 to August 2016.
“Outstanding salary arrears of 5 months (September 2016 January 2017). Implementation of the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, for doctors, which has been operational in many hospitals across the country since 2014.
“There is generally low staff motivation due to unfavourable working condition.
“The points enumerated above resulted in the loss of accreditation of some vital clinical departments in the hospital and that of college of medicine.
“The implications is that it will result to untold hardship to students and parents who have laboured to keep them in school.
“It will also mean that it will be difficult for our children who may desire to study medicine to gain admission into Imo state University.
“And those already in the system can no longer graduate having spent upwards of ten years already in the school.
“There is need to halt the process of concessioning of government hospitals to private hands. This will not be beneficial to the common-man who is the primary target for the setting up these hospitals.
“There is need to set up special intervention measures to carter for people living with HIV/AIDS, tubaclosis, mental fever and Ebola disease.
“We also bring to your knowledge unwarranted harassment, intimidation and humiliation suffered by our members in the state government employ in the hands of some government functionaries. This is contrary to the rules of engagement and provision of the civil service rules.”
