By Mercy Onyenweli
Globally, the healthcare sector needs 10million healthcare workers to attain Universal Health Coverage.
This was disclosed by the immediate past President of World Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele at the Benin Airport on his way back from Kagali where he officially handed over to his successor.
Dr Osahon Enabulele who was given a resounding welcome with Benin cultural troups dancing to the tune of a proud father welcoming his Son home and members of his Medical Professionals along with Student Doctors who were on ground to show solidarity graciously disclosed that 10million healthcare workers are needed globally while Africa needs about 3.5million health workers to measure up with other contemporary continents in the World.
He described the one year experience as President of WMA as intriguing and satisfactory, having added more experience to his medical profile and also made remarkable impacts globally.
“ As the immediate past World Medical President ,I had the opportunity to make impact at the global level and my Joy today, is that I have been able to prove to them that Africa has a voice, Nigeria has a voice and Edo State has a voice and the people from Africa can also make impact in the World Medical Association and I think that has been one of the greatest revelation in my tenure”.
Dr Osahon further stressed that the consistent pushing for Resident Health Care System has attracted global acceptance which would encourage Medical Professionals and Physicians mostly in Africa to stay in their Countries and reduce the brain drain which is currently a menace in Africa due to unfavorable working condition.
“ I have been pushing for our leaders to create a descent working environment in addition to competitive wages for health workers and Physicians in Africa, so we can have a lot of them stay in our continent, rather than always leaving our People in Africa to suffer for health conditions”..
“So these are some of the global health realization that has come to stay and am happy that even the World Health Organization has accepted it in its latest lunch in what we called “the global health care workers compass” which is supposed to obligate government workers across the World more than ever before to get committed to the issue of health workers who are striving more than ever before to ensure that Citizens and humanity are well catered for are also provided for.”
Speaking further, he decried the high level of violence against medical workers which according to him is also being addressed as bills are being sponsored to ensure policy instrument which are capable to protect medical workers should be put in place.
As part of his achievement as World Medical President , he revealed that he had put in place Global Excellence Award to distinguished medical workers who are doing exceedingly well and to encourage them in the Medical Profession. He has also initiated the Dublin Roundtable and Leadership development series to help build the capacity of those in the health care system.
“All these and more, I have put in place so that we have capable leaders who are prepared to build the health system in more fundamental ways. The World Health organization is working with the World Medical Association to see how we can together get to a point of realization and adopt it in World Health Assembly which will be holding in Geneva.”