Dr Awwal Sani, Consultant Urologist, General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, Katsina, has called on governments at all levels to, as matter of urgency and importance, train doctors and medical personnel to check medical tourism and brain drain.
Sani, who made the call at Her Majesty Global Publications Merit Award in Abuja, on Sunday, added that if doctors and other medical personnel were trained, medical tourism abroad would be unnecessary as cases would be handled in the country.
“After training, the next is the equipping of the hospitals with standard and updated medical equipment, which is the bedrock of discharging any medical responsibility.
“The remuneration of personnel is also another important segment for government to effectively discharge. With the above in place, brain drain will be history.
The urologist said that those personnel abroad were not better than those in Nigeria as “some of them are either from Nigeria or from other African countries and are excelling.”
He assured that if the hospitals and personnel were taken care off, the confidence of Nigerians would be restored and they would trust their health system.
Sani, who was bestowed with the Nigerian Patriot of Medical Practice Exemplary Award (NIPMPEA), said the award would spur him to do more, as it was given to him for what he had been doing.
Mr Ike Willie-Nwobu who presented a paper entitled: ‘The Protocols of patriotism’, said it was neither the rich nor the money that build a town, families or cities; money does not build anything, including marriages.
“Not the President or Governors or Ministers that build a country, but they need to have the support of aides to succeed.
“Anytime, situation or circumstances, you have a number of patriotic people around the president and governors or any person/persons in leadership they succeed. In marriage, anytime you have a wife who is patriotic; the man and family succeed.
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ohanire, who was represented by Lady Uloma, said COVID-19 had virtually affected all aspects of life, reminding Nigerians of the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
He urged the general populace to protect and encourage others to take control of their lives at their working places, markets and everywhere.
The minister stated that although money was scarce, still the Federal Government was doing its best, appealing to people to always wear face masks, wash their hands frequently and maintain social distancing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 33 recipients received various awards ranging from health, education, tradition and general humanitarian sectors. (NAN)
