By Yekini Jimoh – Lokoja
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kogi State chapter, on Tuesday, decried the deteriorating insecurity situation in the country and called for more proactive action from government at all levels and their relevant agencies.
The NMA state’s Chairman, Dr Omakoji Oyiguh, disclosed this at a press briefing in Lokoja, at the end of the association’s 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and scientific conference in Lokoja.
Oyiguh decried the rate of the incessant insecurity situation in the country, especially the target of medical doctors by kidnappers from their homes and workplace for ransom.
He, therefore, called for a stronger synergy between the community, security agencies and professional associations to raise the bar in providing actionable intelligence for the security of the people.
He noted that the association had also adopted kidnap protocols for its members so as to be vigilant and be security conscious.
Oyiguh added that Nigeria citizens have been living in fear across the country, stressing that medical practitioners were not spared by hoodlums from kidnappers.
According to him, medical doctors have been kidnapped in their line of duties, while patients they are attending to were left to their fate in the hospital.
Oyiguh called on government at all levels to rise up to the occasion in protecting the lives and properties of its citizens, adding that they should come out with a profitable system to avoid brain drain in the medical system.
“We can no longer keep quiet over the gruesome killings around the country. The government must stand up to their responsibility,” he added.
The NMA sympathised with the National Association of Residents Doctors (NARD) over the ongoing strike and urged the Federal Government to listen to them in order to build a better health care delivery in Nigeria.
He noted that the National Executive Council of NMA would soon be convening a national meeting, where a decision would be riched to possibly joined the ongoing strike by NARD to press home their demands.
Oyiguh noted that the association during its AGM and scientific conference, interfaced with relevant stakeholders for more collaborations in the area of security for residents of the state especially the medical doctors.
Oyiguh added that the association paid courtesy visits to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Federal Fire, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to seek collaborations and partnerships.
He noted that the visits were to partner with the agencies in the areas of providing adequate health care services to victims of fire and road accidents, training and retraining services for medical and paramedical departments of FRSC, to improve on their services..
