The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) has rejected called for the privatisation of all tertiary healthcare centres by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).
President of the union, Comrade Ibrahim Alhassan Kamal who expressed his displeasure on the called while speaking with Journalists in Abuja said such statement is unpatriotic because is capable of leading to brain drain.
He warned that privatisation of these healthcare centers would also led to job loses, adding that the union will resist such move with every legal means.
“The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) is an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) with membership cutting across health professionals from Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Dietetics, Dental Technology Occupational Therapy, Health Information Management, Nutrition, Social Work, Speech Therapy, Dental Therapy, Optometry, Clinical Psychology, Prosthetics/Orthotics, Medical Physics, Audiology, EEG and ECG Specialists amongst others.
“The Union condemns in its entirety the recent statement credited to the President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr Ojinmah Uche urging the Federal Government of Nigeria to privatise all tertiary healthcare centres in the country. This statement is unfortunate and insensitive.
“The call for privatisation of these public health institutions by the NMA as a panacea to brain drain in the health has further demonstrated that the association is not interested in the common good and well-being of the Nigerian citizens.
“Privatisation of Public Health Institutions in whatever guise is not the solution to any problem in the health sector but more hardship to common citizens of Nigeria; who by fundamental right as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) should have unhindered access to healthcare as a social service.
“The Right to Health is guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. Nationally, it is guaranteed under Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“The right to health was first articulated in the World Health Organisation (WHO) 1946 Constitution which states that: “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being”.
Comrade Kamal further disclosed that even in a capitalist Country like the United Kingdom, a public sector funded universal health coverage programme called the National Health Service (NHS) had been institutionalised for close to a century.
According to him, “This social care programme has remained sacred like a religion to the citizens of the United Kingdom and the Government of that Country has continued to widen the workforce by recruiting health professionals from other countries of which significant members of the Nigeria Medical Association are beneficiaries to the detriment of the Nigeria’s Health System.
“The Union rejects the NMA’s President assertion that, “private health sector driven healthcare system with government support and enabling environment will over time stop brain drain and may even initiate brain gain in Nigeria”.
“His suggestion that, “51 % of shares be sold to core investors who become majority shareholders and in thus responsible for day to day running of the institutions, fixing of salary, hiring and firing and make sure it turn in profits after tax” revealed the self-serving nature of an average Physicians/Medical Doctors who place more priority on their private health centres than the primary hospitals they were employed to provide healthcare services to the citizens”
On solution to the challenges in the health sector , the union blamed “Inadequate funding/budgetary allocation by Government, Bad leadership and poor management of public health institutions by physicians/medical doctors led management team.
Others are “Noncompliance to the circulars and operational guidelines by Chief Executive Officers of public health institutions, Lack of transparency and prudent management of available resources, Under-utilisation of other healthcare professionals and many more”.
END.
