Medical doctors in Kwara State, under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), have commended the intervention of the state government in the area of health care delivery, especially in the five years of the present administration.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday as part of activities marking the 2023 Physician’s Week, the state chairman of the NMA, Dr Ola Ahmed, hailed the present administration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for rehabilitation of hospitals, payment of counterpart funding on health interventions, provision of funds for insecticide-treated nets (ITN), and drugs to eliminate malaria, among others.

“The present administration has done a lot in the area of rehabilitation of hospitals, primary health care, and secondary health facilities, as well as the payment of counterpart funding from external health funds such as FG and international bodies, which has led to improvements in health care delivery.

“Also, it has provided malaria funding for the distribution of insecticide-treated nets and put in place a health insurance scheme where many indigent people in the state have been enrolled.

It has also normalised doctors’ salaries and extended them to other healthcare workers like laboratory scientists, nurses, pharmacists, etc.

The Governor’s approval for the recruitment of more staff is also laudable; though approval was hailed, we’re still yet to get it implemented, especially for doctors”, he said.

Ahmed, who observed the increased rate of insecurity in some parts of the country, said that the situation was becoming unbearable.

He said that the development had negatively impacted NMA members and, invariably, healthcare delivery to people.

“The fear of kidnapping, banditry, and armed robbery has really deprived our citizens of access to quality health care, especially in the rural communities where the menace is rampant”, he said.

He appealed to governments at all tiers and revered traditional leaders to review their approaches to tackling insecurity and come up with workable strategies to secure the lives and property of the citizens.

The Kwara state chairman of the NMA also said that the association is exploring all peaceful avenues towards securing some economic reprieve for members

Similarly, he urged pregnant women and people in need of healthcare to go to recognised health facilities to access healthcare and avoid quacks.

Speaking on Physician Week, he said some of the activities marking the week include a scientific conference, discussions on the welfare of medical doctors, courtesy visits, and Young Doctors Day.

He also said that the theme of Physician Week is “This is Our Chance to Get It Right in the Health Sector.”.

He added that the sub-themes are “The Abuja Declaration: 22 Years After”, and “The Ethical Issues in Human Organ Donation”.