The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) on Saturday in Abuja started free medical outreach at the Mamusa community, Aco, Lugbe, Abuja.
The medical outreach kick-starts the association’s 3rd National Health Summit (NHS) and commemorates its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
The NHS/NEC, which will run from Dec. 2 – 6, has its theme ‘Healthcare delivery in Nigeria: Translating policies to impact.’
The medical outreach is part of the humanitarian services the association usually carries out.
The NMA President, Prof Bala Audu said that apart from the humanitarian services, the association occasionally felt the need to give back to society.
“It is good to give back to society and when we do this, we consider those who are vulnerable, those who are poor, those who live in hard-to-reach areas and those who cannot afford medical treatment.
“The medical outreach was also to kickstart the NMA National Health Summit (NHS) and the National Executive Council (NEC),” he said.
Audu said that various issues concerning the development of health in the country will be discussed at the NHS/NEC.
Also speaking on the medical outreach, Dr Emeka Ayogu, Chairman, NMA -FCT, said that the medical outreach was aimed at assisting those who could not access medical treatment for one reason or the other.
According to him, many Nigerians could not access healthcare either as a result of poverty, distance barriers or other reasons.
He said that the medical outreach would provide NMA the opportunity to reach out to these categories of people and to bring to their doorsteps the medical treatment they desire.
Ayogu said that NMA would be offering to the people various medical services, as well as carry out screening of various types such as diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV and others.
He said that the health summit would gather doctors from all parts of the country, and from all professions in the medical field to appraise and look at how the NMA could improve the country’s healthcare delivery.
According to him, it is time to stop the talk, it is time to translate all policies in the health sector into action and take the sector to a greater height.
He said the summit and the NEC meeting would afford the doctor’s opportunity to discuss wider whether they are getting it wrong or right in the health sector, as well as discuss the way forward.
“The health summit and the NEC meeting is an opportunity for us to bond and understand ourselves further, we are appealing to the government to take the health issues of the country as a priority.
“This is the second time the health summit is holding in Abuja, we are happy that Abuja is hosting it again.
“I want to thank the National President and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of NEC for giving us this opportunity.
“We are also calling on the government to create an enabling environment to encourage doctors and other health workers to be committed to work
“Government needs to make health services attractive like that of the advanced countries of the world, look at the security of health workers, working conditions, and working environment,” he said.
NAN
