The Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kaduna Chapter, Dr Sheyin Madaki, has tasked doctors in the contemporary economic hardship to get alternative sources of income, in order to solve the challenges of their low income.

Madaki said this at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Monday in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State. The theme of the AGM was “Doctor’s well-being in current Nigerian economy: A call for alternative source of income”.

He said that the need for doctors to get alternative sources of income could not be overemphasized. Madaki added that doctors must begin to look at entrepreneurship, mentoring, business and innovative ideas as additional streams to help solve the challenges of low income.

He said that the present economic realities that have hit the nation further called for urgent intervention by government through immediate alleviation of the sufferings by way of palliatives, incentives to workers, tax rebate and others.

“The last one year has had its own fair share of challenges as regards the wellbeing of doctors in the present economic realities. The State Officers’ Committee along with support of affiliate leaders have left no stone unturned in ensuring that the worsening welfare of members in the state is squarely addressed through continuous engagements with government and other agencies,” he said.

The NMA chairman added that the many challenges of the state’s doctors had been of paramount concern, however, noting that significant gains were made. Madaki said that the present government had shown political will and commitment in addressing the lingering and neglected issue of doctors’ welfare for over a decade.

He said: ”Being the first time in history that NMA held its AGM in Kafanchan and the Southern Zone at large, demonstrates unity and inclusiveness for all doctors in the state. I believe we are on course to a new dawn in NMA Kaduna. Unity, stability, transparency and accountability have been of utmost priority to us,” Madaki said.

He thanked Gov. Uba Sani, his deputy and Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Imma Ahmed for the concerns and commitments they had shown towards ending the suffering of healthcare workers in the state.

Earlier, Sani, represented by Ahmed said that the provision of health was central to his government’s ‘Sustain Manifesto’.

Sani said that the state government had resolved to build and strengthen a healthcare system that was preventive in approach, well-equipped, staffed, accessible and affordable.

He said that in illustrating the commitment of his administration to health matters, the first bill he signed into law on assuming office was the ‘Public Health Law’.

Sani said that the law provided institutional framework to achieve ‘One Health System’ made up of three sectors of health, environment and agriculture.

“This is because of the interplay that exists in terms of causation and prevention of diseases in public health system. It cannot be overstated that a healthy population is paramount if we are to improve national productivity, drive development and improve our overall human capital indices. In doing this, the role of doctors is pivotal,” the governor said.

Sani, therefore, restated his administration’s determination to improve the welfare of doctors for them to be able to discharge their duties satisfactorily and without distractions. “This is why we take seriously our ongoing negotiation with our Association of Resident Doctors (ARD),” Sani added.

NAN