NMA DECRIES POOR HEALTH FACILITIES IN KATSINA, THREATENS STRIKE

Katsina State chapter of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has chided the state government over the dearth of manpower and poor condition of health institutions in the state even as it threatens to embark on indefinite strike.

Addressing jounalists in a conference, NMA chairman in the state, Dr Abduljalil Umar, noted that a lot of health facilities exist in the state but are empty for lack of personnel.

He  stated that the ratio of one doctor to 60,000 patients in the state was unacceptable and against international standard of one doctor to 1000 patients.

The NMA chairman expressed dissatisfaction over high rate of maternal and child mortality in the state, lamenting  'that Katsina State with projected population of over six million has some of the worst health care indicators in Nigeria.

'Our maternal and child mortality rates are among the highest in the northern region and the country as a whole,' he noted.

He attributed this to the neglect of the health sector by the state government even as he noted that 'with only 22 general hospital, less than one per local government, the majority of these hospitals have just one or at most two doctors manning them.

'Our only training institution presently has no consultant in internal medicine and surgery. This is affecting the quality and credibility of our internship program which in turn impacts on the lives of the citizens of Katsina State.'

While reaffirming its commitment to ensure quality health care delivery, the NMA appealed to the state government to create a short term intervention measures to address the deplorable state of health care delivery system in the state.

He called on the state government to look into the complaints of the association, which include deliberate wrong computation of salaries, non-payment of CONMESS arrears and promotion of medical staff from January 2012 to date, failing which   the association would be forced to call out its members on strike.