NMA urges Borno to redeem health workers demands

The Nigeria Medical Association on Tuesday urged the Borno State Government to redeem its pledge to meet the demands of health workers to boost healthcare delivery in the state.
The state’s NMA Chairman, Dr. Baba Muhammad, made the call at the 2016 Physician Week in Maiduguri.
Muhammad said the theme of the programme is: “Health Care in a Frail Economy: Challenges and way Forward.”
He listed some of the demands to include improved facilities, infrastructure and welfare package for doctors working in the state.
Muhmmad said: “The government should hasten the commissioning of the doctors quarters to address accommodation problem encountered by health workers.
“We will also be grateful if the government will consider giving the houses on owner occupier bases.
“We will also like to have doctors’ village where plots of land will be distributed by the state government to all doctors working in the state.
“We also want the government to construct NMA health facility to enhance good service delivery especially for Internally Displaced Persons and other vulnerable groups in the state.”
The Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Usman Durkwa, commended the health practitioners for their resilience and effort in providing health services to people throughout the period of the insurgency.
Durkwa said that government had procured 40 ambulances, employed 750 nurses and midwifes for improved performance.
Durkwa said: “The state government also sponsored 60 female medical students to Sudan. I wish to assure you that Borno government is always ready to partner with the sector to deliver dividends of democracy.”
The NMA is holding this year’s physicians’ week after four years of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East region, with Borno State as the worst hit.