By Chioma Obinna
As Nigeria prepares for the 2019 elections, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has called on politicians, political parties, aspirants and other relevant stakeholders to play by the rules, even as it urged law enforcement agents to demonstrate loyalty to their calling and the constitution of the country.
Making the call in a statement by the National President, Dr. Francis Faduyile, and the National Secretary, Dr. Olumutiwa Odusote, the union advised Nigerians to be law abiding and resist being used by politicians as ready tools to destroy human lives and properties in the name of support and loyalty.
The statement read in part: “The overtly inflammatory statements by top-ranking political leaders, which have the real potential of incensing partisan conflicts that can degenerate into communal clashes and mass casualties, worsening the already cheerless level of insecurity and conflicts in the country, is worrisome.
“Our worry is based on the fact that the country’s health system is still bedevilled by various incapacities, ranging from chronic underfunding, poor governance, poor service delivery to lack of political will to implement extant laws, regulations, and policies.
“These have manifested in poor health worker: population ratio.”
with escalated emigration of medical and health workers, low carrying capacity of existing health facilities, absence of basic equipment, consumables, reagents, modern effective drugs and other tools needed to deliver efficient, effective, prompt and culturally acceptable medical care to the people of Nigeria.
“NMA as a foremost professional Association and the custodian of the health of the Nigerian people see this as a patriotic duty to call politicians and some state operatives to order. The Association encourages the spirit of politics without rancour and bitterness and one that is strictly based on constructive engagements, factual debates, and constitutionality.
“If by acts of omission or commission the nation is thrown into serious political chaos, the poor and vulnerable including women and children will bear the greatest brunt,” they warned.
They further advised law enforcement agents to stringent in dealing with defaulters objectively and without let or hindrance.