The Rivers State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, has called for a rebate on customs duties for medical equipment and interest-free loans for medical services from banks, citing the charitable nature of healthcare practices.
Doctor Ebi Robinson, the immediate past NMA state chairman, made this call on Thursday at the Annual General Meeting of the association, noting that naira’s devaluation has raised medical supply costs by over 100 per cent while health maintenance organisations, HMOs, have not increased payments accordingly, shortchanging private medical facilities.
According to him: “We still have challenges with drastic manpower shortages, human capital flight, insecurity, multiple taxation and recently the electricity tariff hike.
“The association demands a rebate on the cost of duties for medical equipment, interest-free loan for medical and healthcare-related services from banks, knowing too well that medical and health-related practices are fundamentally charitable and render essential services.
“Let me also mention again that the reducing value of the naira comparatively to the dollar has increased the cost of medical supplies to over 100 per cent.
“However, actors in the health finance corridor like the HMOs have not been able to concomitantly increase the payment for services in keeping with the present reality, thereby shortchanging the proprietors of private medical facilities.”
Doctor Robinson urged medical practitioners to uphold high standards of practice.
He said: “As we convey for this annual general meeting, let us affirm our dedication to uphold to the highest standard of medical practice, advocating for improved health care and fostering professional development within our association.
“I am emphatically confident that through constructive advocacy dialogue and collaboration, we can chart a part towards sustainable progress in the healthcare delivery system in the state and, by extension, to the country at large.”
He especially appreciated Governor Sim Fubara, the guest of honour of the occasion, for his developmental efforts in the state and his benevolence to NMA.
“I want to also appreciate the faces of NMA Rivers State, medical elders that are here present. I also want to sincerely appreciate the Commissioner for Health, Doctor Adaeze Oreh,” he added.
The annual general meeting, themed “Reversing the Trend of Healthcare: Brain Drain,” was attended by doctors across the state and ushered in new NMA leadership.
