The National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) has appealed to the governors of the 36 states of the Federation to domesticate the Health Insurance Scheme in their respective states.
Dr Sofiri Peterside JNR, National President of NAGGMDP made the call while addressing newsmen after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association on Sunday at Akwanga Local Government Area (LGA), Nasarawa.
According to the president of the association, domesticating health insurance schemes in all states would help reduce the hash socio-economic situation currently being faced in the country.
He said that federal civil servants and civil servants in the states that had already introduced the scheme are benefiting immensely from the programme.
He explained that as medical practitioners, they have seen situations where a patient seriously ill cannot afford his bills and they had to pay for such patient and also treat him or her.
He said the situation has gone this bad and Health Insurance Scheme for all categories of people would go a long way to improving the healthcare needs of Nigerians especially the vulnerable.
The president also said brain drain was one of the major problems facing the health sector in the country today because some of the best hands in the sector are living in other countries for better pay and working conditions.
He attributed the exodus of medical personnel to other developed countries to poor welfare packages, bad policies of government, lack of security for personnel and medical facilities among others.
Dr Peterside JNR called on the federal government to cancel the policy that Directors on grade level 17 would proceed on compulsory retirement after serving in the level for eight years.
He explained that this policy is anti-carrier progression and would lead to unnecessary industrial disharmony in the country.
“For insurance, medical Doctors join the services of the government in either grade level 12 or 13 after graduation, then a few years later such a person reaches level 17.
“If the Doctor is forced into compulsory retirement after serving for eight years, it means his retirement age is around 50 or 52.
“A well trained medical Doctor who has been forced to retire at the age of 50 or 52, will prefer to go to other countries that will pay him better and work beyond 60 years,” the NAGGMDP President added.
The association also called on government at all levels to beef up security around medical facilities to guard against incessant kidnapping of medical personnel in the country.
Dr Peterside JNR also called for an upward review of hazard allowances of Doctors, Call for duty allowances and upgrading of medical facilities to curtail medical tourism.
“The government at all levels must implement a new minimum wage without further delay to cushion the effects of the hardship that is being faced due to the removal of fuel subsidy by the President Bola Tinubu,” he added.
