The Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association has expressed concern over the shortage of manpower in the state. The NMA also expressed worry over the low enrolment of students into the medical field, noting that the situation was affecting the medical profession.Alasia spoke in Port Harcourt on Monday during a media chat on the 57th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Week of the body, tagged ‘Medical Professional Advancement, Distress from within and outside: Breaching the Generational Gap in Medicine.’
He pointed out that the NMA had written the state government, requesting that retirees should be retained on contract basis to resolve the manpower challenges.
Noting that the NMA was committed tos improving the medical profession in the state, Alasia said, “We wish to improve the medical services we give to people. We need to help improve the health care of the state.
“There is shortage of personnel in the profession. The ratio is one doctor to 4,000 patients; we are really lagging behind. We want to complement on the issue of manpower.”
“We have called on the state government for contract extension for those who have retired so that we will have added manpower.”
Alasia expressed happiness on the formation of medical department in the Rivers State University, noting that it was an encouragement to the health profession in the state.
He added, “We thank God that the establishment of Rivers State University Teaching Hospital is on course and will help in this direction.
“The enrolment of people into medicine has also dropped. We will Institute a programme to encourage people to come into medical studies to give a boost to manpower.
“We will launch a programme to help students pick up career in this area and we will give priority to the females and indigents from rural communities to advance health care delivery and medicine in the state.”
“Every year, our universities don’t graduate more than 1,500 students of Medicine. There should be a policy to attract people to come into this area. Deliberate policy and incentives should be placed on the science field to motivate young people to find science interesting.”
He, however, noted that NMA would also launch a programme in secondary schools to guide young ones against excessive use of hard drugs.
Source:MWN
