Community Pharmacists seek equity in health sector
Pharmacists under the auspices of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, (ACPN) have called for equity in appointments in the health sector.
In a press statement jointly signed by the National Chairman, Dr. Samuel Adekola, and the National Secretary, Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh noted that consumers of health had been short changed by the Government and providers.
The pharmacists alleged that greed on the part of the professional group in the sector has continued to encourage the inequitable spread of privileges and resources of players in the sector to the detriment of consumers of health.
They expressed fears that despite the fact that the goals and objectives of both the National Health Policy and National Drug Policy which focuses on accessibility, affordability, safe and efficacious health care services, and credible drug supply system may never be.
They pointed out that Nigeria physicians and their umbrella body have blackmailed successive governments at the Federal and many States levels to continue to insist that appointments for a Minister and Commissioners for Health as well as those of Permanent Secretaries remain the birthright of Physicians.
They stressed the need to have appointments in Nigeria’s health sector liberalised to give room for meritocracy.
“It should interest observers that all appointments into prime MDAs in Health sector are dominated by physicians in Nigeria, including heads of all public hospitals at both State and Federal level.
“The domination is extended to even appointments into the Boards of Management of the various Federal Health Institutions where about 8 out of 13 slots are permanently reserved for physicians at the detriment of consumers of health,” ACPN said.
They further listed unethical conducts in task grabbing, alleging a recent attempt by Physicians to annex the statutory and professional responsibilities of pharmacists to dispense medicines legitimately in the Health System.
ACPN called on other professional bodies to join forces with JOHESU, Civil Rights Societies, and other patriots to form a workable coalition force to save the health system.
They called on all health workers and their leadership to convey a roundtable discourse to strategise on how best to tackle the lingering Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, (MDCAN) suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Also urged all health workers to come up with an agenda for a robust healthcare delivery system in Nigeria in the best interest of the people.
Kamila/Vanguard
