From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Medical doctors working in Ogun State Government hospitals, on Wednesday, protested what they termed ‘gross shortage of medical personnel in the state,’ among other issues.
The doctors, under the umbrella of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State chapter, led by their chairman, Dr. Abayomi Olajide, stormed the Oke-Mosan Governor’s Office, carrying placards with various inscriptions, chanting solidarity songs.
Speaking on behalf of his protesting members, Olajide said they were at the office of the governor to register their grievances especially dearth of medical staff in the state.
According to him, health sector in the state was being faced with many challenges among which were shortage of manpower, capacity building, recruitment of doctors and other health workers, infrastructural development and welfare package.
He particularly bemoaned shortage of manpower in state government hospitals noting the ratio of doctors to patients is overly low.
Olajide said: “NMA Ogun was highly supportive of your ascension into office in 2011. We’re inundated by your campaign promises of free and qualitative healthcare.
“Your promises is yet to be actualised in the health sector. The level of infrastructural decay ranging from dilapidated structures, obsolete equipment and poor drug supply chain.
“There is no single CT scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine owned by the state. This negates the Ogun standard we all clamour for.
“The number of health workers in Ogun State is abysmally poor. We have less than 150 doctors manning over 40 health institutions in the state, that is half the population of the doctors manning FMC”.
Addressing the protesters, the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa, said the state government was aware of the challenges facing the doctors and the need to do more.
He assured them that government will invite them in the next 30 days for more consultations to proffer solutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment