The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has deplored the on-going strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and appealed to the Federal Government to honour its agreement with all health workers.The new NMA President, Dr. Francis Faduyile, while briefing newsmen yesterday after the association’s yearly general conference and delegates meeting in Abuja, commended the Senate for approving the inclusion of one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federation in the 2018 budget.
He said the measure would improve funding of primary healthcare in Nigeria as mandated by the National Health Act 2014.
Faduyile decried the persistent low budgetary allocation and releases for the health sector at all levels of government and called on governments to increase budgetary allocation release to meet 15 per cent of the total budget.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the government for not reconstituting the board of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) after three years of its dissolution and urged government to reconstitute the board without further delay.
The NMA president noted that the association has resolved that the MDCN should not register any foreign medical graduate who is not registrable by the regulatory body of the country of their training.
Besides, Faduyile commended the efforts of the government in bringing under control the Lassa fever epidemic and the ban on the sale of codeine containing cough syrup.
