US diagnostic recommendation on Akunyili pathetic – NMA.

The Nigerian Medical Association has described as “pathetic” the diagnostic recommendations made by the United States medical doctors for late former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili.



The NMA also bemoaned the lack of trust for medical doctors in the country by Nigerians, warning that time has come for confidence to be restored on services rendered by Nigerian medical doctors in order to stem the tide of Nigerians dying abroad.

The President of NMA, Dr. Kayode Obeme, at a press briefing on Thursday evening in Abuaj also said it will embark on indefinite strike if the Federal Government fails to adhere to previous agreements reached with it.

The association therefore gave the government 14 days ultimatum to meet its demands or risk grounding of medical services across the country.

The NMA expressed concern over the proliferation of Directorates in hospitals, saying that it will send a wrong signal in the administration of hospitals in the country.

Obembe said, “It is very pathetic; diagnosis was carried out on Prof. Akunyili in Nigeria but like everything in Nigeria, they said go and confirm in the US or UK, There, they said there was nothing wrong with her, but now it is a different story.

“That is why we have been advocating that every Nigerian should have a medical doctor; through health insurance and community health coverage, we can prevent such cases from happening.”

In a letter addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the NMA listed keys areas the government must address, failing which will lead to doctors all over the country withdrawing their services.

Obembe said, “The NMA is opposed to the appointments of Directors in the hospitals. This position distorts the chain of command in the hospital, induces anarchy and exposes the patient to conflicting treatment and management directives with attendant negative consequences.

“Grade level 12 (CONMESS 2) in the health sector must be skipped for medical doctors; hazard allowance must be at least N100, 000 per month for medical doctors and immediate withdrawal of the Central Bank of Nigeria circular authorizing the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria to approve licenses for the importation of In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs).”

“In the light of the fore-going therefore, the NMA hereby gives government 14 days to meet all her demands as stated above or have her members called out for a resumption of the total and indefinite withdrawal of service suspended on 5th January, 2014. The NMA is taking this painful route because our silence and gentle approach to these contending issues have been taken for granted” by government.”

Also speaking, the NMA 1st Vice President, Dr Titus Ibekwe, told journalists that the new move by the association was meant to reposition the health sector as failure to take action will instead lead to deterioration of the situation in the nation’s health sector.

Ibekwe further maintained that government needed to come to terms with the demands put forward by the NMA, given that, the demands formed part of previous agreements, it (government) consented to during the harmonisation meeting.