Nigeria Medical Association, Abia State chapter elects first female chairman

The Abia State chapter of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has made history as its member’s elected Dr. Mrs. Ejiro C. Iwuoha as the first female chairman of the association for the next two years.

Other elected members of the Iwuoha led Executive include Dr Ezinwa Ezuruike (Vice Chairman), Dr. Joachin Umenwa (Secretary), Dr. Davis Orunta (Asst. Sec), Dr. Mercy Enyinwa (Treasurer), Dr. Chidi Emelike (Financial Sec), Dr. Nonso Ifediora (PRO) and Dr. Odochi Ewurum (Welfare Secretary).

Iwuoha speaking during a courtesy visit on the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. John Ahukanna in Umuahia, the state capital expressed the readiness of the association to partner with the state government in promoting and implementing the health policies of the Ikpeazu led administration.

According to her, the association in the state under her watch would be deeply rooted in advocacy for health issues including mental health, maternal and child health programmes, cancer awareness and screening as well as other illnesses that is more common among residents of the state which she said that the association intends to achieve through massive media awareness programmes with government and non-governmental organizations in and outside the state.

The NMA chairman using the opportunity of the visit to inform the Health commissioner on the planned quarterly free medical/surgical missions across the state throughout her tenure disclosed that the first edition of the exercise would be coming up between October 24-25 as part of the activities lined up by the group to mark 2018 Physician Week celebration in the state. This is even as she stated that many indigent persons in the state were expected to benefit from the free medical mission.

Dr. Iwuoha while commending the commissioner and state government for employing more healthcare workers including medical doctors into the healthcare system of the state, even though the number of personnel working in various health facilities in the state is a far cry to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation; of one medical doctor to six hundred patients appealed to the commissioner to use his office to push for the payment of their colleagues salary arrears.

“Currently, our colleagues at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba are owed arrears of salaries from January 2018 to date while those at the Hospital Management Board (HMB) are owed eight months.

“The arbitrary slash in the January salaries of HMB doctors is also very disturbing as it is an unwarranted provocation. We plead that these be addressed urgently.”

The first female NMA chairman while calling for the strengthening of the office of the Director of Medical Services said that there was need for the state government to join hands with the association to fight quackery among health practitioners in the state’s health system.

“As the apex body of doctors in the state, we intend to harness the enormous potentials of our various affiliates to improve the delivery of our corporate social responsibilities to the people of the state.

Improving the healthcare workforce can also be achieved through training of Postgraduate doctors. It is obvious that spaces for residency training are getting fewer by the day and therefore requires looking inwards.

“The Abia State Specialist Hospital can begin residency training in a few specialties by applying to the postgraduate medical colleges for accreditation. We believe that the requirements are achievable if we focus on establishing this,” she said.

In his response, the commissioner health, Ahukanna appreciated the new NMA on the visit and called for more participation of doctors and the implementation of the health programs of the government including the telehealth program and other health initiatives.

Ahukanna commended the proposed Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) medical / surgical outreach to be held at Obingwa General Hospital, Mgboko Headquarters of the LGA and advised that they liaise with the office of the Director of Medical Services of Abia State on  guidelines for carrying out medical outreaches in the state.