The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), has advised the Nigerian government to join other countries of the world to procure the COVID-19 vaccines that have been reported to be effective for further research study on Nigerians.
The NMA President, Prof. Innocent Uja, who gave the advice at a media briefing in Abuja, Monday, said this is to confirm the efficacy and safety of the vaccine for the Nigerian populace.
The NMA, therefore, appealed to Nigerians to take the COVID-19 prevention advisories very seriously in order to interrupt the transmission, reduce ill-health and deaths from the dreaded disease.
“The strict adherence to the NCDC Protocol of use of face mask, regular handwashing and use of sanitizers and social as well as physical distancing is very strongly advocated. Non-essential travels should not be embarked upon especially during this yuletide season and beyond,” the NMA said.
Prof. Uja called for deliberate and strategic efforts by governments at all levels to ensure the return home of the Nigerian Doctors and other health professionals in diaspora to contribute their quota to the improvement of health care delivery services as well as national growth and development.
He appealed to privileged Nigerians demonstrate open confidence in the nation’s health care delivery system and as well as patriotism by patronising the services.
The NMA, therefore, called for the establishment of the National Health Bank in order to fast-track the infrastructure, procurement of the state-of-the-art equipment which will help to provide world-class health care for Nigerians in order to reverse medical tourism.
The group, therefore, called on President Mohammadu Buhari, political leaders, strategic stakeholders in the nation’s financial sector and the entire citizens to prevail upon the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to soften and modify the conditionalities for accessing the Health Intervention Loan especially given the current state of the nation’s health sector as exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NMA further called on the Federal Government to commence negotiations with NMA on the 2019 Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA).
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