Kaduna State NMA striving to serve the people
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) was founded in 1960 as a transformation of the Nigerian branch of the British Medical Association. As the umbrella body for all medical and dental professionals registered and licensed to practice in Nigeria, the NMA caters for the interest of members, promotes health and allied sciences and helps in shaping […]
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) was founded in 1960 as a transformation of the Nigerian branch of the British Medical Association. As the umbrella body for all medical and dental professionals registered and licensed to practice in Nigeria, the NMA caters for the interest of members, promotes health and allied sciences and helps in shaping national policies and legislations aimed at improving the health of Nigerians. It’s the largest medical association in the country with over 37,000 members across the 36 states and FCT.
The Kaduna State branch of the NMA is one of the largest with about 1,500 members across the three zones of Zaria, Kaduna and Kafanchan. The State Executive Council, (SEC) and the State Officers Committee headed by the chairman oversee the welfare of members. Like the national body, the chapter also promotes health and allied sciences and helps in shaping policies and legislations aimed at improving better health of citizens of the state.
Dr. Stephen Akau Kache, the Kaduna State chairman of NMA and his officials have since assumption of office, left no one in doubt on their determination to further ensure better health care delivery to residents of Kaduna State. In 2019, the association under the leadership of Dr. Kache and the state officers committee initiated programmes of public interest and engaged with all relevant stakeholders to improve the welfare of its members and the well being of the citizenry.
The Kajuru crisis in Kajuru LGA that culminated in the destruction of lives and property left many displaced and helpless with the resultant many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in different locations. This caught the attention of the state NMA with the provision of relief materials to lDPs in Sabon Tasha and the provision of free medical treatment for victims of the crisis, amounting to hundreds of thousands of naira.
The NMA has also risen to the challenges posed by increasing road crashes along the Zaria-Kaduna-Abuja road which has been the case since the onset of reconstruction of the highway. In partnership with the FRSC, NURTW and the media, the NMA has organized trainings on safe driving, basic first aid at accident scenes and provision of mobile clinics and rescue vehicles/services by government and well wishers.
The state NMA twice this year (in April and September 2019) visited the state NYSC camp to deliver a lecture on ‘Ethics of the Medical Profession also also donated drugs and consumables to the camp clinic in order to cushion some supply challenges faced by the clinic. The frequent visits of the NMA to the state NYSC camp is a clear manifestation of its interest in the welfare of corps members posted to Kaduna State.
Determined to create health awareness and enhance better standard of living for the common man, the state NMA took its free medical outreach to Sabon Tasha General Hospital in July this year, where over 1000 patients were attended to, with different health challenges, and with over 300 patients receiving glasses for various eye ailments. It was indeed a day of joy for many patients. The free medical outreach was conducted as part of events to mark the 2019 Annual General Meeting/Scientific conference of the NMA in Kaduna which was well attended by stakeholders. The free medical outreach was closely followed by a visit to the Adonai Orphanage and Widows Centre in Barnawa, Kaduna where gift items were presented to the orphans and wrappers were distributed to over 50 widows.
In October, as part of the Physician’s Week activities, the association embarked on a cancer awareness road walk in conjunction with ‘Friends Unite’, aimed at creating awareness on early diagnosis and and treatment options of cancer.
The state chapter of the NMA participated at the annual national conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Kaduna State chapter as well as several collaborations with Servier Pharmaceuticals, Max Healthcare and Nestle Nutrition among others, for the provision of continuing medical education for doctors in the state. These were all geared towards improving inter-sectoral collaboration.
The association has partnered with the Kaduna State Media Corporation by sponsoring the weekly ‘Doctor on Radio’ program which educates the public on different health related issues.
These people-friendly activities have endeared the NMA to the citizenry in Kaduna. Given the current trajectory of the association under the current leadership, it is worthy of note that the task for the year ahead will be simple and our conviction that God willing, 2020 can only be brighter and better with innovative programmes coming the way of citizens of the state that they have really benefitted tremendously from the Kaduna State branch of the NMA.
Tauna writes from Kaduna