The Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH-ARD) chapter, has warned the public that cases of COVID-19 pandemic are increasing in Nigeria, and advised people to continue with the prescribed preventive measures.
Dr Dele Abdullahi, the President of the association, made the appeal on Monday in Ilorin during a news conference organised as part of the activities of the 39th Annual General Meeting of the ARD-UITH.
He stated that the pandemic eas very much with the public, adding that the average Nigerian was beginning to forget the menace of the disease.
“COVID-19 will not go away. We just have to manage the disease and we don’t have to wait for another mass attack before we continue with the basic precaution,” he said.
Abdullahi stated that taking precautionary measures also would protect people from contracting other communicable diseases.
Abdullahi said that the year 2022 had been a rather exigent one for the members of his association with the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the Lassa fever resurgence.
He added that the economic downturn, the increase in prices of fuel and all other commodities had made the day-to-day activities difficult.
The ARD-UITH president also condemned the mass exodus of doctors from Nigeria as well as the problems associated with the employment of the few available ones.
He said that the development had culminated into chronic shortage of manpower in the health care facility.
“These have resulted in burnout of the few sacrificing for the nation,thus leading to a suboptimal delivery of healthcare services in our communities,” he said.
According to him, the 2022 theme of the AGM entitled: “The Abuja Declaration and Healthcare Financing in Nigeria: Perspective, Reality and Prospects”, is aimed at taking a critical look at the effectiveness of health financing in our society and its resultant effect on healthcare delivery.
He added that the sub-theme is:”Kidney Protection: Evolving and Emerging Threats, Call to Action”.
Abdullahi said that the theme was carefully selected to curb the rising trend of declining renal healthcare among the Nigerian populace,especially, the youth keeping in view the risk emerging from it and the resurging health challenges it poses.
He also observed that the current year had witnessed massive highs and lows, with the painful loss of some of its members.
He, however, noted that some modest achievements were recorded by the association.
He listed such as: the payment of the medical residency training funds to its members, refurbishment of Call Rooms and commencement of the expansion of the association’s lodge of residence among others.
He urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the healthcare system and critically look into modalities of improving health care financing and infrastructural development in the health facilities.
He said that this would improve healthcare delivery and stem the tide of health workers’ exodus.
“We will also like to call on government officials, especially, those in the health sector not to be distracted by the imbroglio of the forthcoming elections as this may be detrimental to our health care system,” he said.
He added that some activities of the AGM would include: Surgical and Medical Outreach in Omupo Community and Scientific Conference.