HEALTH
Medical
Practitioners Should Not Be A Political – Hon Dr.
Okeduran
By Leo Ezekiel Chidinma Olu and Emmanuel Eboweme.
Speaking as
the keynote speaker Hon Dr. Wale Okediran said that medical practitioners
should not be a political adding that as medical practitioners they should
proactively, pragmatically effectively efficiently be involved in the political
turf of the Land.
Speaking at
the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) Lagos University Teaching Hospital
(LUTH) Idi Araba, Mushin/Surulere, Lagos at Old Great Hall, Hon. Dr. Okediran
said that politics is meant for all and sundry adding that the theme of ARD
scientific conference adduces that ‘’NEXUS:
THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN MEDICINE, POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY AND ART FOR THE GOOD OF
SOCIETY. The Keynote speaker Hon Dr. Okediran had a flow of his lectures as
follows:
Background
Historical perspectives
Medicine, Politics and Art
The Way forward
The Conclusion
Speaking to
the participants at the old Great Hall, LUTH, Araba, Mushin, Surulere, Lagos he
said that he is a doctor by profession, but, he is a politician by calling
adding that it might appeared strange, but, largely there is a marriage of
medicine, literature and politics.
Speaking
again he said there are many medical practitioners who are actively involved in
politics and writing as well as other professionals such as accountants,
lawyers, engineers, professors, soldiers, nurses, actors and actresses et’al.
Speaking
further he did give a historical perspectives, to the audience that comprised
doctors, nurses, medical students of various classes, gentlemen of the press
and the general public adding that they had been an array of medical doctors
who have also been politicians and most of them had positively called the shots
as presidents of their respective countries, for instance the Latin American
revolutionary leader, Che Guevara, Hastings Kamuzu Banda of Malawi, Agostinho
Neto of Angola, Salvador Allends of Chile, Francos Duvailier (Papa Doc) of
Haiti, Gor Harlen Bruntland, First Norwegian female Prime minister, Houphoet
Boigny of Ivory coast, Nain Ramgoolan PM of Mauritius as well as the great
Mahathir Bin Mohammed of Malaysia who before his voluntary retirement from
politics having led his country to one of the greatest economic, renaissances
of the 20th Century.
Hon Dr.
Okediran further gave a graphical historical background of medical doctors who
had been positively engaged in Nigeria, since the 18th Century when
in 1908 Dr. J.K Randle and Dr. Orisadipe Obasa formed the Peoples Union as the
first political party in Lagos and perhaps in Nigeria adding that some
historians considered people union as a political Association whereas the first
real political party in Nigeria was NNDP formed by Herbert Macaulay in 1922
adding that Nigerian doctors had come a long way in the active involvement in
politics Speaking further he said that Dr. Okoye Majekodunmi served as the
administrator of the then western Region of Nigeria the constitution of impasse
of the early 60s as well as Dr. Samuel Manuwa the first Nigerian Chief Medical Adviser
who acted as the consular General any time the GF was on vacation.
He outlined
the long list of medical doctors who had become state governors, members state house
of assemblies, members federal house of representatives, senate and ministers.
As the keynote speaker Hon. Dr. Okediran one time member of federal house of
representative for six years of Oyo State and also columnist of the Tribune
newspaper in the last 15 years had a page where medical issues are simplified
for the readers as he avers that medicine and politics are time consuming professions.
He avers
that medicine and politics are both social sciences involved in the socio-economic
good and advancement of man and society adding that politics just like medicine
is supposed to be honourable. He advocated the way forward, he concurs that
politicians are expected to concentrate his or her life to the service of
humanity adding that there has to be a reduction in public expenditure on
elected officials, as well as positive use of news and social media.
He avers
that there should be plurastic system of democracy as well as review of the
electoral laws.
Speaking to
the participants the President of ARD Dr Olawale Oba graciously welcome all and
sundry to the ARD Annual General Meeting 2018 and sacrifice conference and he
assured all participants that the scientific conference would be highly
educative as they had gathered array of good speakers.
Speaking
with journalists the president of ARD Dr – Oba said that an average doctor is
supposed to be inclined with politics, technology Art and literature adding
that in developed countries many of the hospital equipment are produced locally
by medical doctors.
He agrees
that medical doctors should be heavily involved in politics, hence the first
political association in Nigeria was created by medical doctors, medical
doctors should also be creative thinkers and writers, because as medical
doctors their trainings empower them to be a social agent for the public good
of the society.
He said
again that the use of bright colours in the hospital has giving some patients
heavy healing.
He said
again that doctors are noble human beings that the management does not have to
toy with their salaries and other social welfare packages as he says the
management is owning them about four months’ salaries as they have embarked on
strike that is ongoing by the medical doctors, and again he says that it will
continue until when management addresses their demands.
Speaking
again with journalists Dr. Oba said they are not happy with what is on ground
because all and sundry are effected with the ongoing strike that the sick people
at home and they themselves.
Speaking
with journalists Dr Babatunde Bamigboye a medical surgeon of Nose, Ear and Troat
NET he said that every human being is a political animal adding that the topic The
Keynote speaker has treated very well that medicine, politics technology, Art
concurring that all of these are all social agents of advancing the society.
Speaking again Dr, Bamigboye said that they have given fourteen days notice of strike to the management of LUTH as
to enable them pay all the arrears of salaries owed them.
He said
that the union has being going front and back to the ministry of health and
finance adding that this two ministeries are coming up with two difference stories
which is not favourable to them the medical doctors as he said that at the
expiration of fourteen days’ notice and if the management does not clear their
back log salaries that the strike will go full blown adding that the management
is paying the regular workers who are the core civil servants. He queried that
the civil servants and themselves are the same human being, why then does the
management should be having preferential salary payment to the civil servants
again he said that poverty in the land is as a result of failure of economic
policies saying that policies marshaled out are never implemented by the powers
that be.
He said
that the cause of the problems of overcrowding are as a result of the failed
housing policy which also leads to water borne diseases, and these water borne
diseases had heavily affected all and sundry in bad shape.
He said
again that the most political appointees see their offices as a show man shop
whereas it is not supposed to be like that.
He said
again if the political appointees do their work effectively and efficiently
that this problem will not be there. He
said the minister of health Prof. Isaac Adewole has done well, but, he needs to do
more so that the general wellbeing of Nigerians would be fine.
Dr. Bamigboye
is the chairman of Medical and Dentist Consultant Association of Nigerian LUTH.
Speaking
with Journalists professor Lanre Adeyemo of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery said
that the ARD 2018 Annual General Meeting and scientific conference is a very
good one for the doctors and publics adding health is wealth as well as the
government has to provide all the basic needs of making life livable.
He said
that medical doctors should go for elective positions that politics is good for
every human being as well as health is also important for mainland.
He said the
federal government has to increase the budget allocation to the ministry of
health so that the NHIS & HMO really need to be regulated.
He said
that Nigerians are about two hundred million people, and very sadly less than
five percent of Nigerians are in the NHIS scheme, whereas of all Nigerians
contribute to the NHIS scheme, that the status of health care delivery would be
largely improved.
The ARD
Annual General Meeting and scientific conference 2018 had four panel of
discussants which comprised the speakers Hon Dr. Okediran, Kunle Adewale et’at.
They brilliantly discussed the theme of the ARD Annual General Meeting and
scientific conference 2018 ‘’NEXUS, The Interaction
Of Medicine, Politics, Technology and
Art and of a truth they did extremely well with their varied ideas of how
medical practitioners could be meaningfully useful to the down trodden masses
of the society.
Speaking on
behalf of the Chairman of the occasion Prof Durosimieti, Dr. Yakubu said that
he had become the biblica Giedeon of Old Israel Whom not willing to lead his
people against medinite, who kept tormenting them adding that when the Holy
spirit of God came upon him and behold, he got the really boldness and
brashness to lead his people to victory and by so doing he too had accepted the
mandate to represent Prof Durosimieti as the chairman.
Speaking with
Iconblaze magazine online portal Hon. Dr Okediran said that though he is a
trained medical doctor, but, he had proudly and pleasantly written 14 novels
for the general public adding that many creative writers are professional
medical doctors.
As he avers
that medical practitioners should not shy away from politics and all that.
Speaking
with Iconblaze magazine Online Portal Kunle Adewale Director of Art in medicine
in project said that he is the founder of Tender in Nigeria where he concurs
that there is so much relationship between medicine and politics adding that
colours brightens the psyche of the patients at the hospital wards which bring
fast healing to the patients.
He said
that if tablets are given to patients in colours form that most patients do
normally to take such tablets adding that classical music also helps the
patients to get fast healing of their ailments.
He avers
that medicine politics technology and art are all social agents for the
advancement of the citizenry in all ramifications adding that medical
practitioners should proactively and pragmatically engage in politics as many
world leaders are and were one time trained doctors adding that everybody
benefits from Medicine, Politics, Technology And Arts.
Speaking
with Iconblaze magazine online portal Founders And Chief Executive Officer life
bank, a medical distribution company Temie Guwa Olatubusun said that they help
the hospital to find blood for their patients adding that they work with nurses
Lab scientists doctors, young people entry into medical trainings at various
territory institutions.
She said
that the conversation they shared as discussants were very rich and purposeful
to the participants which were made up of doctors, medical students, nurses,
and general public.
She avers
that the government should invest uncommonly in the health matters so that the
down trodden masses would always have good medical treatments whenever the need
arises.
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