The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), FCT chapter, has decried proliferation of locally sourced organ transplant centers, especially kidney, in different parts of the country.
Speaking Tuesday in Abuja, at the opening ceremony of the NMA FCT Physicians Week, with the theme, “This is our chance: To get it right in the health sector”, the Chairman of NMA FCT, Dr Ugwuanyi Ugochukwu Charles, said the development can be traced to increasing poverty ethical issues in the medical profession.
He said: “Physicians Week began is a period to reflect deeply and engage one another as well as key stakeholders especially the relevant government authorities and media to re-engineer more awareness and strengthening the six pillars of a working health systems in the context of contemporary socio-political dynamics.
“Throughout history, physicians have done their best to use cutting- edge science to care for others. Notable advancements include establishment of the first blood bank in 1937, the first human to human heart transplant in 1967, and the first artificial heart implanted in a patient in 1982.
“For the year 2023, we are just surviving the aftermath of a general elections, which birthed a new central and regional governance. And our major focus henceforth is to constantly remind the Government at all levels to keep faith with their campaign manifesto towards strengthening the six pillars of a working Health Systems across the three tiers of government with special emphasis on the primary health care level which is mainly domiciled at the local government areas, considering the fact that more than 60% of the over 200 million population reside here.
“It is our duty as physicians to constantly remind them on the need to strengthen the six core components of any decent Health systems including adequate financing, good governance/leadership, human capital development maintenance and retention, infrastructure development and maintenance, health information systems, access to essential medicines, vaccines and decent health care delivery services at all levels in line with acceptable international standards.
“This is because “until everyone at different tiers is safe, none of us is. As you are all aware, it is time for us to insist on the Abuja 2001 AU Declarations on Health Sector Funding, which is meant to appropriate minimum 15% of annual budget to the health sector and in fact what we ought to be asking for at this time is to improve on that. It is only in that way that we have begun to address the first two fundamental issues on building a working health system in our country: Financing and Clinical Governance.”
He added: “Poor funding of the health sector has been further complicated by human capital flight which is a practical exposition of Ravenstein’s Push and Pull theory that has greatly encouraged a mass exodus of highly trained professionals at huge economic loss to the country as well as drifting our doctor- patient quotient further away from WHO recommendations.
“The commonest solid organ transplant in our environment today is kidney. And with increasing economic hardship and consequent abuse of over-the-counter analgesics, recreational drugs and substance abuse including alcohol amongst other causes, there is an increase in end stage renal diseases as a complication arising therefrom.
“Consequently, there is also an exponential increase in locally sourced organ transplant centers especially kidney. This requires first, organ harvest from a supposedly healthy donor and subsequently immediate transplant to a recipient, both operations happening at about same time. In an environment where there are no organ banks, this remains the only hope of sustaining these vital services but unfortunately at the moment it is hanging on a backround of the very weak ethical guidelines.
“Thus, subject to abuse which may infringe on human dignity and rights protection and if not properly handled has become a subject of increasing litigation concerns. Prof- Ayanami has been carefully selected to educate us more on this.”
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the occasion and Minister of State for Education, Hon. Tanko Yusuf Sununu, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has initiated plans to improve the sector and that there is need for collaboration of relevant stakeholders to help the federal government achieve its objectives of better healthcare for citizens.
