Members of the Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists are currently holding its 31st Annual Scientific Conference and General Meeting in Gombe State with the aim of enhancing capacities of its members towards improving healthcare delivery across the country.
The theme of the conference is “Anaesthesia and the Peri-Operative Care of Patients with Cancers.”
Declaring the conference open in Gombe on Wednesday, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State commended the association for coming to the state to brainstorm on ways of improving healthcare delivery for patients seeking medical services.
Represented by Dr Habu Dahiru, the state’s Commissioner of Health, Yahaya said the event was significant in view the fact that it is aimed at improving the well-being and socio-economic development of Nigeria.
He said that the NSA had provided platforms for anaesthetists, researchers, educators and other stakeholders outside Nigeria to come together to exchange knowledge.
He stated that the association was the largest group of hospital-based specialists that give anaesthesia for surgical and medical including psychiatric procedures.
He stated that they also facilitate pain-free child birth, resuscitation of acute and well patients and run chronic pain services and other intensive care unit and programmes.
The governor said that his administration had initiated policies and programmes that had improved healthcare and its indicators at all levels.
“We have improved our hospitals especially ICU, surgical unit and labour rooms where most anaesthetists find themselves working.
“We have also improved our primary healthcare and strengthen our contributory health scheme aimed at improving universal health coverage,” he said.
The governor also urged the society to discourage the “japa” syndrome adding that a lot of health professionals were leaving the country.
He urged participants to leverage the conference to deliberate on issues and come up with recommendations that would help improve the health of Nigerians.
On her part, the President of the Society, Dr Olubusola Alagbe-Briggs says over 400 consultants who are members of the society had left the country in the last two years.
Alagbe-Briggs disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists on the sideline of the event.
According to her this members left the country in search of better practice environment abroad.
She said anaesthetists were the most desired specialty outside the country because of the peculiarity of their services.
“There is a global shortage of anaesthetists because of the nature of the job which is intensive, acute and focused.
“We had about over 1,200 membership but for now, we are just 800 within two years; this group(those who have left) are the consultants which are the highest cadre.
“Those countries that are short of anaesthetists are pulling those here in Nigeria that are not even enough.
“Nigerian professionals across all works of life are the best but unfortunately, we find ourselves in what we see happening in our nation.
“We are highly desired in those nations and all I can say is until the circumstances in Nigeria are improved, it cannot get better”.
“Not only doctors are “japaing” but everyone across various fields but until the welfare of the Nigerian doctors is improved, until equipment are available, our experts will keep going out,” she added.
Alagbe-Briggs stressed that availability of the right equipment and better welfare were key to improving medical practices and services, adding that they make their work enjoyable.
“There is no magic in medicine, you see what is happening, act on it and get result and until these things are improved in our nation, japa can never stop,” she said.
Speaking on the conference, Alagbe -Briggs said the event was in line with their mandate to ensure continuous enhancement of the knowledge of its members to help improve the lives of patients.
“In this conference so far, we have had over 150 participants both virtual and physical. There are a little bit less than 60 physical participants. There are more virtual participants,” she said.
She explained that the main focus of the conference in accordance with the World Federation of the Society of Anesthesiologists (WFSA) was on anaesthesia and cancer.
“We are looking at how we can help improve cancer care; we are involved in the operational stage, pain relief, emergency care and intensive care.
“That is why we are here today to brainstorm on how to improve our specialty in line with the theme, to learn from one other and to share our research,” she said.
