By Felix Ekwu
Delta State Government has begun the payment of Hazard Allowance for doctors in the state-owned hospitals as approved by the Federal Government.
This was part of areas of improved welfare of doctors by the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration of the state which received the commendation of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Delta State Branch at its just concluded annual general meeting and scientific conference hosted by the Sapele Zone of NMA.
From Monday 1st to Saturday 6th August 2022, doctors across Delta state and beyond converged in Sapele for this year’s annual general meeting and scientific conference of the NMA Delta State Branch tagged, “Sapele City 2022”.
The conference chaired by Professor Abel Onunu of the University of Benin had the theme: “The Practice of Medicine in a Depressed Economy, The Way Forward”.
This year’s event witnessed a remarkable boost with about 400 registered doctors compared to 2021 which had just 200 doctors.
The Chief Medical Director of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Onome Ogueh, who stood in for Governor Okowa and state Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, commended doctors for keying into the health programme of the state government and restated the commitment of the Okowa administration in improving the health care delivery system particularly in strengthening the Contributory Health Scheme and improving the welfare of doctors.
Immediate past Chairman of NMA Delta State, Dr Nwose Emmanuel Ossai said two years ago when the baton of leadership was handed to him and his team to take the state NMA to new frontiers the welfare of doctors was their topmost priority.
He said, “From the onset, we knew it was a big task but our confidence was boosted when we realised that the entire doctors in the state were behind us. We took on the issues one after the other and within a short while our aspirations were realized.
“With the prevailing health, economic and social challenges from the onset, we still braced the odds amid the COVID-19 pandemic to carry out our functions. This year’s AGM?AGC has been well thought out to reflect the reality of our current situation as a people.”
Dr Ossai said under his watch Governor Okowa approved and commenced payment of the reviewed doctors’ Hazard Allowance from N5,000 to N40,000.
According to him, the Federal Government that approved the Hazard Allowance is yet even to begin payment for doctors under its payroll.
Dr Ossai also listed other areas of improved welfare of doctors in the state to include, the removal of doctors’ Core Duty Allowance from taxation thereby reducing the tax burden on doctors, payment of COVID-19 special allowance, implementation of Medical Residency Training Fund, reformation of hospitals, upgrading of facilities and the commissioning of the new NMA state secretariat at Asaba.
The host chairman, NMA Sapele which consists of Sapele, Okpe and Sapele Local Government Areas, Dr Mascot Wanogho noted that since the last time the zone hosted the annual general meeting and scientific conference in 2011, the zone has grown in leaps and bounds.
“The Annual event is an opportunity for doctors from within and outside the state to meet and brainstorm on healthcare management.
The theme of this conference has been carefully and thoughtfully chosen to reflect the reality of the global economic outlook and its impact on health care practices,” said Dr Wanogho.
Dr Luckys Okparanyote who was the guest speaker at the conference did justice to how doctors can practice Medicine in a depressed economy and doctors applauded his viewpoints at the conference.
Commenting on the theme for the 2022 AGM and scientific conference of Delta NMA, “The Practice of Medicine in a Depressed Economy, The Way Forward”, the Director/State Coordinator, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research ( NIMR) Outstation, Asaba, Dr ( Mrs) Gloria Patrick- Ferife, said “The topic is very apt now because we know how the economy is currently. It may not be totally depressed but we have been going through circles of recession. So, it is important we discuss it and the guest speaker threw a lot of light on it.
“Basically, medical practice is business, so we need to think about it in that direction so that one can sustain it. If you tend to only have the social aspect of it you may not sustain the practice.
“If you have a practice first money that comes to the practice is not your personal money. It is important you have a proper accounting unit where monies are paid into.
“Health insurance is the order of the day because what it does is that it pulls funds, finances, risk so that if a practice has 100 patients for example all the patients pay the N7,000 you automatically have N700,000. By the time you are working with that, not all the 100 patients will come for a month.
“So, the monies that you are saving from one, you can use to help the other and also still make profit for your practice. Health insurance is important, it is something we should all embrace in our corners. Whatever plan you think you can fit in, please go get the plan.”
As part of programmes marking the 2022 annual general meeting and scientific conference of the NMA Delta State Branch, the Outgone chairman, Dr Nwose Emmanuel Ossai led other officials and members of the Association to pay courtesy to the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, Orhue The First at his palace in Orerokpe, during which they congratulated the Okppe monarch on his 16th coronation anniversary and pledged their sustained cooperation with the palace.
The Orodje commended the NMA for their critical role in saving lives and expressed worry over the mass drift of doctors abroad for greener pasture.
An election conducted to foreclose the weeklong programme to usher in a new executive for the Delta State branch of NMA, saw Dr Okolakpa Carter returning unopposed as the new state chairman.
Dr Carter leads a 10-man state executive to administer the affairs of the NMA Delta State Branch for the next two years.
Other members of the new state executive include Vice Chairman, Dr Anthony Chukwuemeka Okunze (Elected); Secretary, Dr Oge Great Nwokule (Elected); Deputy Secretary, Dr Omovigho G. Agbele (Unopposed); Treasurer, Dr Joseph Onojaeme (Unopposed), Financial Secretary, Dr Anthony Chukwuma Ossai (Elected); Publicity Secretary, Dr Samuel Aghogho Oyawiri (Elected) and Welfare/Social Secretary, Dr Ojieh Anthony Emeka (Unopposed).
