Physicians’ week: NMA moves to provide succour to flood victims in Taraba.
By Christiana Babayo.
As Taraba State Chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA joins sister states in the Federation to celebrate Physicians’ week, the Chairman of the Association in Taraba, Dr Bako Istifanus Ali on Monday said that the NMA is making moves to provide succour to victims of flood in the state.
Dr Bako who said this while delivering the NMA President’s speech at the Doctor’s House in Jalingo also said that NMA has already sent some relief materials particularly to Bayelsa state which was worst hit by the incidence and the Taraba Chapter is already making ways to see how it can assist victims in the state.
While lamenting the deplorable condition of Nigerian doctors, Dr Bako said Taraba state is no exception as doctors here are dealing with poor renumeration, lack of necessary work tools and have become targets for kidnap.
“This week has been set aside to celebrate Physicians week around the country and we in Taraba are also part of this week’s celebration.
We started this on the 23rd and it will run through to the 29th of October.
“It is during this kind of occasion that we air out our issues so that they can be tackled or looked into. In the Presidents Speech, he made mention of poor payment, lack of necessary work tools and others relevant issues. NMA in Taraba is also facing these issues.
“The average person sees a doctor as a rich person hence we become soft targets for kidnap and because we are underpaid we can’t even give ourselves proper security in times of need.
“We doctors work round the clock, when we are called, it doesn’t matter what time it is, we have to show up because we took an oath to save lives, so we go through every risk to save the lives of our patients. But we cannot continue like this” Doctor Bako said.
Dr Bako also mentioned that the workload on doctors are almost unbearable as the ratio of doctor to patients here in Taraba is simply unimaginable.
He made a call to the Government to look into these very pressing matters and address them before it escalates to a point that no one can handle them.
According to him, Nigeria produces highly competent doctors so if these issues are brought to the fore and properly addressed, doctors will not have to leave the country always in search of greener pastures.
Worldview reports that the Taraba NMA has a line up of activities for the Physicians’ week including, media chats, lectures for young doctors, courtesy visits to relevant personalities and medical outreaches.
