…Says their welfare is neglected

…As Ebonyi NMA celebrates 2019 Physicians’ week

Dr Achi flanked by other doctors

The commissioner for Health Ebonyi State, Dr. Daniel Umezuruike, has called on doctors to be involved in politics, stressing that at the National Assembly, lawyers and other professionals are there but doctors do not contest for any election.

Umezuruike said this during the opening ceremony of the 2019 Nigerian Medical Association, Ebonyi State Branch Physicians’ week, held at Women Development Centre Abakaliki, on Wednesday, October 2019.

The commissioner who was represented at the event by the permanent Secretary of ministry of health, Dr. Christian Achi, maintained that the welfare of doctors is at stake in Nigeria.

Adding that it is important that doctors get involved in politics; “How many doctors do we see in the national Assembly? The places where decisions are made you won’t see doctors there because they are busy in their clinics.

” We should come out of our comfort zones as doctors so that we can be part of the decision makers. In Ebonyi State, this is the first time a doctor is made a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health. So there is need for our doctors to protect our own profession,” he charged.

The commissioner also lamented that medical doctors welfare are neglected in the country.

He said: “judges retire with their full benefits and they retire at the age of 70, but doctors retire into penury.

” Many of our older colleagues retire without even pension, so the welfare of our colleagues in retirement should be looked into and that is the duty of NMA nation wide. We need to do more, if judges retire at 70, there is no way our consultants should not retire at 70, not just retiring at 70, and they should go home with their full benefits just like judges.
In his speech, the former minister of Health, and pioneer chairman of NMA Ebonyi State Chapter, Dr, Onyebuchi Chukwu, expressed joy that what he nurtured as the chairman of the Union has grown to be largely adopted by the Association.

Onyebuchi who strongly campaigned against doctors borrowing money to celebrate their week was represented by the MD, fistula Centre Abakaliki, Dr Johnson Obunna.

He congratulated the current executive of NMA for organizing the physicians’ week earlier which it ought to be, instead of pushing it to November or December as done in the past.

Obunna on his part, applauded the present executive for making the celebration a befitting one, while urging them to imbibe the culture of addressing themselves as ‘Doctors’ when they come together to celebrate instead of adding titles like ‘Prof’ among others.

In his address, the NMA State Chairman, Dr. John Egede, said the aim of the physicians’ week was to honour and celebrate themselves for their contributions to the wellbeing of their immediate communities and the society in general as well as to discuss those factors that militate against provision of effective healthcare services to Ebonyians and Nigerian in general.

Egede noted that the presentation on the theme of the event, “Care of an Unknown Patient” will stimulate their thoughts on what should and ought to be done when they meet an unconscious patient.

“In view of the myriads of challenges in our society today, including but not limited to insecurity, and economic woos, it may be imperative to ask what happens to such patient? Should we go ahead to treat, who gives consent for surgeries/ procedures and who pays at the end whether the patient survives or succumbs to the emergency? Do we have social policies in place to take care of this?” he stated.

He reminded his colleagues that there is life outside the profession, while thanking the state government to for its support so far.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Emmanuel Uche Eni, consultant surgery, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital (AE-FUTHA).

Delivering his lecture on the theme of the event: “Care of the Unknown Patient”: An Overview”, Dr. Eni defined ‘Unknown Patient’ as a patient whose identity cannot be ascertained at the time of arrival to the hospital, stressing that little or nothing is known about the patient’s personal or family details at the first point of contact with the emergency care team. And that it may also be that they patient is unable or unwilling to give his/her identity due to one reason or the other.

He pointed out that the unknown patients are always brought in by the police, Road safety corps or a Good Samaritan.

“We decided to do a 5 year review of our records for the purposes of this presentation. A total of 15, 542 new patients were seen in our Accident and Emergency (Surgery side) over the period. There has been a remarkable increase in the traffic of patients when you compare 2015 and 2019. The total number of unknown patients over the period was 91, accounting for 0.6% of all patients. Of the unknown patients, 50 (55%) were alive on presentation, while 41 (45%) were brought indeed (BID).

Based on their findings, Eni said that mortality rate amongst unknown patients presenting at the A/E is observed to be generally higher than for the known patients, which is attributed to the higher injury severity score which unknown patients tend to have, as well as a gap in offering such patient timely and appropriate intervention.

He also mentioned some of the challenges encountered at the A/E unity of AE-FUTHA when handling an unknown patient to include care, logistics, funding, consent, legal, discharge.

The consultant also proposed that in the absence of universal health coverage, there is need for government to budget specifically for the health of paupers, under which unknown patients can be treated.

while commending the Ebonyi State Government for its regular intervention on their the Awaiting Bill Settlement, Eni recommended that to reduce incidence of Unknown Patients, that road accidents need to be reduced, since majority of such patients are victims of Road Traffic Accidents.

He emphasized the need to train drivers before issuing license, to stop overloading, over speeding, drunk drivers and answering phone while drive.

While the secondary preventive measures are enforcement of helmet for okada riders, which will reduce head injury drastically in case of a crash, and also the use of seat belts, while comprehensive National ID card and or National DNA data base will help in easy identification.

Other speakers were Dr. Christian Eze, Consultant Psychiatrist; he made a presentation on the sub theme, “Curbing the Increase Trend of Suicide in Nigeria: The Role of NMA”, while Dr. David Okoafor, handled “The Doctor As An Entrepreneur.

On his part, the Chairman, Physicians’ week organizing committee, Dr N.O.K Obayi, noted that the theme of this year’s event, ‘care for the unknown patient’, is a good one that deserves a careful look at by both doctors and general public, adding that the issue of unknown patient should concern everybody.

“Two subthemes dwelling on the role of NMA in curbing the rising incidence of suicide in our country and the doctor as an entrepreneur are of utmost importance to all of us” he added.

He also expressed joy over the large number of scientific papers presented this year during the scientific conference.

Among those who made presentations during the scientific conference, were Dr. Bernard Ituma, Department of Community Medicine, AE-FUTHA and a consultant lecturer EBSU.

The topic of his presentation was “stress, its effect on under graduate students of college of medicine EBSU.
On her part, Dr. Igwe Peace Chinyere, Department of obstetrics and gynecology, spoke on “the Determinant and outcome of decision delivery interval in the emergency cesarean section in our tertiary Institution”.

Also, Dr. Chinonyelum Thecla Ezeonu, Department of Pediatrics, AE-FUTHA handled the topic, “knowledge, attitude and practice of the National School Health policy by teachers in public schools of Ebonyi state and their perceived challenges”.

Highlight of the event was giving of awards to those who have distinguished themselves in the medical profession.

Previous articleEbonyi Govt. Interfaces with Millers on Redesigning, Modernization of Abakaliki Rice mill
Next articleTears as Ebonyi NUJ loses Devoted Member

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here