Ekiti Has 7 Doctors in 131 Health Centres
The National Association of Government General and Medical Dental Practitioners, NAGGMDP, in Ekiti State has said at the primary health care level, there are seven doctors working in 131 health centers, adding that the state government was paying lip service to healthcare delivery.
The doctors also noted that the state government’s claim that it has in its employ over 300 doctors, and cumulatively 700 doctors, was a distraction.
NAGGMDP made the assertion in a statement by Dr. Kolawole Adeniyi and Dr. Toyese Adeleye, its Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
The statement was the striking doctors’ reaction to the state government’s response to the continued stay-at-home by members of the medical body. The doctors said they embarked on the strike to save the primary and secondary health care in Ekiti State from total collapse.
In their words: “It is not only a moral burden on us but also a clarion call. “It is for the sake of the innocent people of Ekiti State, who unfortunately are at the receiving end,” the NAGGMDP said on the four-week-old strike. The association said it had in October 2019 presented its position paper to the state government but unfortunately nothing came out of it for well over nine months.
“For the avoidance of doubt,” he said, “at the primary health care level, there are a total of seven doctors working in 131 health centers.
“Government’s claim that it has in its employ over 300 doctors, and cumulatively 700 doctors in Ekiti State, is an obvious digression from the point.
“The primary and secondary levels of care are suffering obvious neglect,” the statement added.
The medical personnel, therefore, appealed to respected Ekiti sons and daughters as well as other stakeholders to intervene to save the sector from total collapse.
Ayooluwa Joshua