 |
| Pharm. Emeka Duru (left), National Secretary, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria; Pharm. Ifeanyi Atueyi,Publisher Pharmanews, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Dr. Francis Adedayo, President, Nigeria Medical Association(NMA) during the NMA courtesy visit of the Pharmacy house, recently to end the interprofessional rivalry in the health sector. |
•Resolve To End Incessant Rift Among Health
Workers
Chioma Umeha
To ensure quality healthcare delivery in the
country, leaders of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) have resolved to put an end to the
conflict between both organisations and to work together.
The bodies made this decision when Dr. Francis
Faduyile, the President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), led his executive
members on a courtesy visit to the PSN headquarters in Lagos, recently.
During the meeting, Faduyile, pledged to work
“harmoniously” with the PSN President, Ahmed Yakasi, foster development in the
health sector.
He said, “The health system in Nigeria cannot move
forward if we continue to work in disharmony. It is important for the leaders
of both parties to look inwards and plan for the benefit of the patients.
“Over the years we have had many issues that
caused a lot of distrust among us. If this continues, it will begin to affect
us the same way that it has affected the patients.”
Faduyile noted that the issues between the two
parties had shifted focus from the challenges facing the sector, especially in
the area of allocation of funds and the issue of specialisation.
“The Federal Government promised a minimum of 15
per cent to fund the health sector, but we have received only 3.8 per cent this
year,” he added.
In the area of specialisation, Faduyile urged both
parties to come together to discuss the introduction of PharmD and consultant
pharmacist, which seems to enable pharmacists perform some roles designated to
doctors.
“The National Health Insurance Scheme is a
platform that we could use to straighten issues in health institutions in the
country. If we work harmoniously, both pharmacists and doctors can get the best
out of their trade,” he said.
On his part, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, President,
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) attributed the current brain drain of
healthcare professionals to the rivalry between the dominant unions in the
country, leading to over 8,000 Nigerian pharmacists practising in the United
Kingdom alone.
Yakasai lamented the obvious fragmentation in the
nation’s health care system, insisting that the health sector could not make
any meaningful progress without inter-professional collaboration.
The PSN president said, “If this mutual mistrust
continues it would affect the patients and all of us. We have doctors who have
died during the strike. We are all called to be in the medical profession to
serve humanity.”
Yakasai added that the rivalry denied patients the
requisite care which doctors and pharmacists and other healthcare providers had
sworn to give.
Yakasai and Faduyile, then decided to work with
the PSN President, Ahmed Yakasi, foster development in the health sector.
Both therefore, resolved to set up committees to
iron out issues responsible for the rivalry and explore ways of resolving them.
The two leaders also resolved to prevail on their
respective unions to withdraw all court cases involving doctors and pharmacists
and other bodies to pave way for harmonious settlement of all issues.
Some pharmacists and doctors that attended the
parley including Kingsley Amibor, the National Chairman, AHAPN, and Duru Emeka,
the National Secretary of the PSN.
On his part, Pharm. (Sir) Ifeanyi Atueyi,
chairman, PSN Interprofessional Committee said he is happy that the NMA
leadership is keen to work with other health workers to ensure harmony in the
health sector.
Pharm. Atueyi noted that health professionals must
embrace the new trend in healthcare delivery globally because it is a positive
development, adding that better understanding of current realities in
healthcare delivery, especially the changing roles of other health workers will
help in resolving most of the issues in contention.
