Abuja – Dr Peter Odili, former Governor of Rivers, has urged the Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria (SOFPON)
to maintain utmost discipline in healthcare delivery services.
Odili gave the advice at the opening of the 18th Annual General Meeting of the Society with the theme “Civil Unrest and emerging health challenges in Nigeria’’ on Thursday in Abuja.
The former governor, who is also the Chairman of the occasion, explained that discipline was key to prompt and efficient healthcare services, stressing that “any delay in rendering appropriate service could cause lots of damage in patient’s system.”
Describing SOFPON as a team leader in healthcare delivery, Odili said appropriate application of knowledge of discipline would avail other subordinates in the health team to follow suit.
He told medical practitioners that “the passion that made you choose the discipline should be reflected in dealing with your patients and relatives.
“Discipline is the key, you must be there when you are supposed to be there; be it clinic, office, emergency room or at the home of your patient if the circumstances permit.
“As a team leader, once you are disciplined in the application of your knowledge, your subordinates has no choice than to take a cue in their attitude to work and relationship with patients and relatives of the patients.
“It is also important that you as a physician that you be a good person, if you are not a good man or woman, you cannot be a good physician.
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“It is the goodness in you that first of all motivated you to choose this very difficult profession, difficult to enter, pass out and difficult to practice.”
Odili further tasked the professionals, especially those in private practice, against disregarding the health needs of the poor due to lack of funds.
He, however, urged them to go the extra mile to ensure that they preserved and save the lives of the poor and needy in the society.
“Always remember there is a reward for goodness and kindness, so do not be deterred, especially those in private practice.
“For every patient you let go without collecting money, God has a way of multiplying the benefit that will come to you in compensation and sacrifice you made,’’ he assured.
Dr Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of State for Health, highlighted the significance of the conference as creating awareness and preparedness of family physicians, health sector stakeholders, government and public on the emerging health challenges from civil unrest in parts of the country.
Ehanire described family physicians as first contact doctors geared toward providing preventive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative healthcare at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of care.
He, however, noted that they have a greater role to play in stemming the social menace toward ensuring the health and wealth of the society.
The minister then urged SOFPON to work closely with the Ministry and other agencies to implement the existing action plans on primary healthcare under a single roof for better outcome in maternal, newborn and child health.
He lauded their efforts in tertiary level of care, describing this as helping to reduce medical tourism and stem the spread of Ebola in the country.
“Some of the achievements of the society include participation in the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme,
initiation and facilitating post graduate diploma in Family Medicine programmes as well as improving the quality of care and services leading to the training of over 300 doctors in family medicine, among others.”
Highpoint of the event was the induction of new members of the society. (NAN)
