Otu tasks medical doctors on more sacrifices for healthy citizenry

Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River, has urged medical doctors in the country to make more sacrifices in the interest of public health and national growth.

Otu made the call when the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) visited him in Calabar on Wednesday.

He said that the demand for medical professionals had become intense across the globe, making Nigeria to be badly hit by the ‘jappa’ syndrome.

The governor who acknowledged the importance of a healthy citizenry, commended health professionals that had stayed back to contribute to the country’s development.

“It is sad that we are losing a lot of our medical personnel to neighbouring countries, medical professionals should know that sacrifices are essential for the progress of Nigeria.

“I acknowledge the importance of health and extol the strength of health personnel who chose to remain in Nigeria to contribute to our development.

“I am confident in the potential of the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the Federal Government to transform Nigeria in the long run, but we must all play our parts,” he said.

Earlier, NMA National President, Dr Uche Ojinmah, commended the governor for his urban renewal programmes in the state.

”It is better to live in a clean and comfortable environment and be poor than to live in a slum and be rich because what can kill you may be in the air,” he said.

The NMA national president said that they were in Calabar for the association’s annual national conference and delegates meeting.

He called for the recruitment of more medical doctors in the state’s health sector to enhance service delivery.

Ojinmah also used the opportunity to ask for the implementation of a new salary scale for medical doctors in the state.