The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kano State chapter, has called on the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to address the worsening brain drain of medical doctors in the country.

The Kano NMA chairman, Dr. Usman Ali, made the call on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the association in Kano.

Speaking at the event, Ali called on relevant authorities, including the Federal Ministry of Health and National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to do everything within their power to minimise brain drain by reducing examination fees at all levels.

He further reminded the NMA members of the reported cases of monkeypox and the need to ensure necessary precautionary measures after WHO declared it a global health emergency.

He stated: “I will like to use this medium to remind us that monkeypox has also been reported in travelers from Nigeria to other parts of the world, as WHO declares monkeypox as a global health emergency. We should ensure preventive measures.”

The chairman also called on the Kano State Government to release the residency training allowances to doctors that are preparing for the forthcoming medical examinations.

According to the chairman, the theme for this year’s AGM focused on enhancing the financial strength of their members considering the uncertainties, adding that “ the theme of the AGM is Financial Intelligence; A Gateway to Financial Independence. The choice of the theme is appropriate at this time full of uncertainties. This is followed by some scientific session.”

He said his tenure as the NMA chairman has consolidated the success of his predecessors in improving the welfare of their members in Kano State.

READ ALSO: WHO declares Monkeypox global health emergency

Describing his tenure in the first two years, he said: “We evolved novel ideas to improve the welfare of our doctors. We formed in addition to the existing ones, a revolving funds committee thereby giving a sense of belonging and responsibility to a wider scope of members spread across the length and breadth of Kano State. These committees have worked tirelessly to change the phase of the Association positively.”

Ali, who commended members of the association for their support and cooperation in leading the affairs of the NMA, asserted that five of their members passed on during the period.

“I wish to at this junction express gratitude for your contributions as members of NMA Kano Branch.

“We have worked tirelessly to run the affairs of NMA Kano we built on the solid foundation of our predecessors and maintained constitutional and traditional obligations of the NMA to the glory of God Almighty for the grace to paddle the ship of the Association in the right direction.

“During this time, however, we lost some of our colleagues – Dr. Abdulhamid Isah Dutse, Dr. Abdulmalik Abdulmumin, Dr. Nasiru Isma’il, Dr. Zulkiflu Ismail, and Dr. Rabiu Alhassan. May their souls rest in Jannatul Firdausi,” he said.

He added that NMA would not participate in the nationwide planned protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) but would support its affiliates that were affected by the lingering strike in Nigeria’s public universities.

“We have three of our affiliates that are part of the university system. We have the Association of Medical Doctors in the Academia, those that are teaching clinical students, and the Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria as well as doctors that work in the University Health Services.

“We have been supporting them in one way or the other and we will continue to support them until the issue is resolved,” he noted.

According to Ali, the AGM which commenced today would end on July 30 with an election and swearing-in of new leadership of the NMA in Kano State.

The Star