NMA wants 1% tax for health sector

The Nigerian Medical Association has called for the immediate implementation of its suggestion that one per cent taxes from breweries, tobacco and telecommunication companies be channelled to the funding of healthcare.
The association made the call in a communique read by its President, Dr. Kayode Obembe, after a National Executive Council meeting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State on Sunday.
The association said such categories of companies must pay more taxes to support public health institutions because of the nature of services they rendered.
It expressed concern over the dearth of personnel in the sector with a ratio of one doctor to 6,000 patients compared to one doctor to 600 doctors recommended by the United Nations.
The association, however, called on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to accredit more public health facilities for the training of interns.
It said the upgrading of some state and federal hospitals and their accreditation by MDCN would help in promoting residency training for more experts to be available in the hospitals.
The association urged Chief Medical Directors of tertiary hospitals to vote more money to fund residency training and check brain-drain that was gradually killing the sector.
The association lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing professionals to oversee the affairs of Federal Ministry of Health.
It called for immediate payment of 10 months arrears of relativity to doctors, adding that the implementation of “skipping” of doctors should commence by January, 2016.
The association pledged its commitment to enforce discipline among medical doctors and urged members of the public to always report erring doctors to the appropriate quarters for proper disciplinary action.
The communique said: “Why many of our members cannot be disciplined is that our people do not know their rights; there is a Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria
Tribunal where those that perpetrate professional misconduct can be tried.
“Negligence is culpable in law, so, the public must make use of this avenue.”
It called for a symbiotic relationship among members of NMA, the police and State Director of Health Services to deal with quacks in the profession.
It said there had been significant improvement in the sector within the year, pointing out that “the maternal mortality that stood at 1,500 to 2,000 per 100,000 before has been reduced to 545 per 100,000.”
NAN.