By Godwin Tyonongu
Abuja
The medical superintendent, Mararaba Gurku Medical Centre (MGMC), Dr. Atai Gabriel, has appealed for the lifting of embargo on employment in the state, to enable the medical facility have enough staff strength.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the state commissioner for health visited the facility, the Medical superintendent lamented that the medical centre which is strategically located, was suffering from inadequate manpower given the magnitude of patients’ population seeking health care there on a daily basis.
Despite the shortage of staff, Atai also appealed that adequate funding of public hospitals should be accorded top priority too.
On reported sharp practices among staff, he said the ratio of sharp practices was insignificant, unlike in the public service were anybody can misbehave and get away with it.
He said: “the drastic action has to be taken somewhere, not in the immediate environment, so it takes so long; you can discipline but you are limited. Limitation calls for people to misbehave. But in terms of Luke warm attitude, if you notice it, it is as a result of the rush in public hospitals.
“They want to be seen once. The last person to be seen will complain, if the private should have the flood of people we have, they will also complain; the patients have to be entering one after the other, then others will feel you are not being fast.
“Not knowing that, in some cases the doctor has to spend enough time because some patients need counseling, some health education before. But because of the under staffing, if 200 patients come to the center, and it has 50 doctors, they will see 4 people at a time. But if it is 2 or 4 doctors, they will take time.”
Commenting on medical tourism in the country, Atai argued that there are qualified doctors in the country, noting that even when citizens travel for medical care abroad, they still meet their countrymen as doctors there.
He recalled how during the Obasanjo administration, there was a move to equip the National Hospital Abuja up to the standard that would take care of flight in that direction, adding that, there are qualified doctors and facilities available in the country.
Meanwhile the doctors from the national hospital, Abuja, initially billed to begin work at the facility on internship as part of their rural posting have resumed, providing more impetus in the surgical section of the hospital, while doctors in other sections are also being awaited.
