2018

West African College of Physicians (Nigerian Chapter)

42ndAnnual General and Scientific Meeting (Venue: Kaduna 2018)

17th -19th July, 2018

COMMUNIQUE

Preamble

The 42nd Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM) of the West African College of Physicians WACP (Nigeria Chapter) held at the City of Kaduna popularly referred to as the Crocodile city.

The Theme of the Conference was ‘ENHANCING PERFORMANCE OF HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN NIGERIA’.

The Sub-themes were:

  • Healthcare Professional Training and Practice in Nigeria: the Ethos, Pathos and Logos
  • Making Nigeria a Medical Tourist Destination
  • Audit of Chronic Medical Disorders in Nigeria
  • Impact of Social Ills on Health in Contemporary Nigeria

The opening Ceremony took place at Hotel Seventeen, Lafia Road, Kaduna on Tuesday 17th July 2018 while the other aspects of the meeting was held at the Dialogue Institute, along Aliyu Akilu road, Kaduna from the 18th to the 19th July 2018.

The Executive Governor of Kaduna State,  His Excellency Mallam Nasir Ahmed El’Rufai, who was ably represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Health Dr. Paul Dogo, declared the conference opened.

Other dignitaries that graced the opening ceremony included the Honourable Minister of Health, Professor Issac Adewole, represented by the Chief Medical Director, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika-Zaria  Professor Khalid Lawal mni; the President of the West African College of Physicians (WACP), Dr. Ifeoma Egbuonu; the Secretary-General WACP, Dr. Clement Ezechukwu; Executive Secretary/CEO National Health Insurance Scheme Professor Usman Yusuf; Director General, National Institute for Medical Research, Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako; the Chief Medical Director, National Hospital Abuja, Dr JAF Momoh representing the Committee of Chief Executives of Tertiary Health Institution of Nigeria; DG National Identity Card Commission Engineer Abdulazeez, represented by Dr Chika Anozie;  President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Dr. Francis Faduyile, represented by Professor Mike Ogirima (Immediate Past President, NMA); Vice Chancellor, Kaduna State University, represented by Professor Mohammed Sambo, Provost College of Medical Sciences; and the Chief Medical Director Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital Kaduna, Professor  Abdulkadir Musa Tabari.

Prior to the commencement of the meeting, courtesy calls were made on Monday, 16th of July, 2018 by the National Officers Committee (NOC) of the Chapter to the following:

  1. Medical Director/Chief Executive Officer, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna. Dr Abdulkarim Jika Yusuf
  2. Vice-Chancellor, Kaduna State University, Kaduna Professor Mohammed Tanko
  3. Medical Director, National Ear Care Centre, Kaduna Dr. Umar Grema
  4. Zonal Director, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna Sub-station.
  5. Zonal Director, Nigerian Television Authority, Kaduna

The conference witnessed a large turn-out of over four hundred and fifty (450) delegates from the various Health Institutions in all the States of Nigeria.

The academic activity that started off the Scientific Conference was the “15th Annual Sir Samuel Manuwa Lecture titled “Rediscovering Purpose and Restoring Trust: Pathways for enhancing the performance of healthcare system in Nigeria” was delivered by Dr. Adesegun Olayiwola Fatusi, a Professor of Community Medicine. He highlighted the challenges of Healthcare delivery system in Nigeria, drawing examples from the unacceptably high maternal, child, and adolescent health indices which are as a result of inequity in access to and utilization of Sexual and Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH). This equity gap is consistent across socio-economic gradient as reflected in the National Demographic and Health Survey (2013) particularly on the issue of child delivery and presence of skilled attendance at child birth.

He concluded that the emphasis on Primary Health Care in Nigeria should NOT be only on putting up structures but a consideration also should be given to staffing, equipment and supportive initiatives to improve service demand.

An Executive Symposium on “Enhancing the healthcare system in Nigeria” was also held at the opening ceremony under the chairmanship of Dr. ABO Omotoso (Immediate Past National Chairman/Vice President (Nigeria):

The main highlights of the symposium were:

  1. Private facilities should be encouraged to engage actively in health insurance.
  2. Physicians should make their voices heard on matters of Medical Insurance in Nigeria.
  3.  The use of National Identity Number (NIN) has many advantages for all of us.
  4. The dwindling fortunes of the Post Graduate Medical Colleges and it’s enrolment in Nigeria with resultant brain drain of young Doctors to other countries for less attractive opportunities.
  5. The need to adequately fund our Health institutions and implementation of the primary health act

The Faculty of Family Medicine mounted the Chapter Symposium titled ‘Strengthening Primary Medical Care as a Strategy for Performance Improvement of the Nigerian Health System’. Speakers included Dr. Christina Campbell, Dr. Matie Obazee, and Dr. JKA Madaki

Over seventy (70) scientific papers were presented at the conference and these covered a wide range of topics traversing the various sub-themes.

Observations:

  1. The concept of the Health System is poorly understood by both the political leadership and the diverse bodies of health professionals in Nigeria. Hence, the piece - meal approach to health governance and fragmented government-workers’ union negotiations and the ever-contentious multiple public sector salary scheme culminated in a huge ‘disconnect’ among the Health professions.
  2. The coverage of the NHIS is not satisfactory and the very low level of private sector participation is regrettable. There is a dichotomy between the insured and persons not enrolled in the system who pay for services out-of-pockets.
  3. Identity management and the National Identification Number remain the sine-qua-non to effective planning and delivery of quality healthcare in Nigeria.
  4. There is presently an unacceptable massive brain-drain of young medical doctors to other countries due to the dearth of training facilities and employment opportunities in Nigeria.
  5. The abysmally poor funding of Health in present Nigeria makes Primary Care Delivery an uphill task.
  6. The panacea to improve and provide problem solving Healthcare delivery challenges remain adequate access to funds for qualitative research. 

Recommendations:

  1. The Federal Government should strengthen the Primary Healthcare system and prioritize universal healthcare agenda.
  2.  The Federal Ministry of Health should ensure the scale up promising and high-impact intervention as well as strengthen their implementation.
  3. The Federal Government should demonstrate more commitment to health sector funding and accountability.
  4. The NHIS should strive to expand social health insurance enrolment to at least 30% in the next five (5) years, while at the same time ensuring effective and efficient utilization of available resources as well as financial protection.
  5. Establishment of Nigeria Medical Research Grant Commission (NMRGC) as well as collaboration with many National and International organizations as the African Union in sourcing and also providing grants for problem based research.
  6. A Sound and feasible mechanism should be put in place by the Government to restore trust in our health system and strengthen healthcare manpower as well as intra and inter professional relationship.
  7. Improve governance, linkages and coordination across all levels. 
  8. Benefits of the NIN should be made known to the citizenry and the data collected utilized for effective planning and delivery of health services.

Dr Abel Nze Onunu                                                            Dr Adeyinka A Akande
National Chairman /Vice President (Nigeria)                      National Secretary