The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), has concluded her two days National Executive Council meeting (NEC),with a call on the government to properly harness the National Health Insurance Scheme, so that health care services can be available, accessible and affordable to all Nigerians.
Delivering his speech at the 2022 first quarter NEC meeting held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, the National President of the Union, Comr. Obinna Chimela Ogbonna, said the essence of the NEC meeting was to address the poor health care delivery in the nation, non payment of salaries of health workers, advocating for free healthcare and others.
According to the National President of NUAHP, the NEC through its Lecture session entitled “Healthcare Financing In A Constraint Economy” would tackle to some extent the challenges of availability, accessibility and affordability of healthcare services, confronting an average Nigerian, which has become a serious set back, due to the poverty level in the country.
He said government should put up measures to help salvage the health sector of the nation, with the prompt payment of health workers and reduction in overseas travels for medical treatment, adding that funds should be put together to make our hospitals up to standard and also affordable for the masses.
“We must stay back in Nigeria to harness what we have. Travelling abroad for medicals will only impoverish our health system, while we enrich the economy of other foreign countries.
“Medical practitioners should be encouraged and supported,so that they can up their game”.
In her address, the State Chairman of NUAHP, Comr Agwara Uchechi, while welcoming the NEC to the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, which Abia is hosting for the first time, said the event is an opportunity for the union to interact with the outside world, prompting the theme for the meeting that would sure affect humanity interms of health care provision and service.
Comr Uchechi disclosed that the Nigerian Union of Allied Professionals, is a coordinating union of over 16 health professionals, including, Pharmacist, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Optometrist, Dieticians,Health Information Managers,Dental Therapist and others.
She said the NUAHP as a professional body, do not believe in holding the government to ransom in any disguise or indulge in praise singing, which often misleads the people in governance, maintaining that the union believes in partnership and constructive engagement that will bring about effective solution to problem.
The Unionist, however, advocated that the Abia government workers welfare and payment of salary should be the government’s topmost priority, as that is the major driver of the state economy.
While commending the Labour friendly Governor for his show of cordiality with Labour leaders in the state, said the union cannot say they have arrived, until the Hospital Management Board (HMB) and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), function optimally, adding that NUAHP Abia state council, has the solution and strategy to get Abia Health System come at its peak.
Comr Uchechi further described the keynote address as apt, especially at the time the state is desirous of sealing up her Health Insurance Program.
Earlier, the State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu in his opening remarks, welcomed the health practitioners to Abia state, promising them that the government would do its best to ensure the health system thrives.
The Governor represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof ACB Agbazuere, charged health workers to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and ensure they are physically present at their duty post,so as to meet the health needs of Abians.
While declaring the NEC meeting opened, the Governor commended the Union for their choice of Abia, which he said was achieved because, Abia is rated as one of the safest states in the South East and Nigeria at large.
In an Interview, the Chairman of Nigeria Optometric Association, Abia State chapter, Dr Okechukwu Abangwu, the Director of Medical Laboratory Services Department, Ministry of Health, MLS Okey Ihemanma and the President, Association of Dental Technologist of Nigeria, Comr Raji Aderemi Kazeem, described the NEC meeting as apt, as it would help address issues surrounding the health system in Nigeria.
They also lamented the poor health care delivery, especially in rural areas where people can barely have access to healthcare.
As a way of arresting the situation, they further suggested for more medical professionals to be employed both at the state and Local Government Areas, train and retrain health workers, so as to help bridge the challenges faced in the health sector, adding that Government should expedite action to seal up the Health Insurance Scheme in Abia.
Highpoint of the event, which featured Lecture entitled “Health Care Financing In A Constrained Economy” by the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Prof Azubuike Onyebuchi, had an award presentation to the wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu, for her tireless efforts in rewriting the wrongs in the health sector, through the establishment of a Sickle Cell Diagnostic Centre.
Present at the event were the Chief of Staff to the Abia Governor, Prof ACB Agbazuere, Lady Love Ezema who represented the wife of the Governor, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu, as well as Council members of the NUAHP across the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT, Abuja.
