Healthcare: WMA President, Enabulele calls for collaborations with Edo Govt

By Angela James,

The President of the World Medical Association, WMA, Dr Osahon Enabulele has expressed a desire to have strong collaborations and partnerships with the Edo State government in the healthcare sector.

He made this known when he paid a thank-you visit to Government House, Benin.

He stated that the association has started working aggressively and would seek further collaborations and partnerships in various areas elucidated in his first visit to the Governor, including health care system strengthening, with the development of more actionable and achievable programs that can advance quality care and the strengthening of the health care systems globally.

Dr Enabulele informed that the WMA was committed to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, with preeminence on Universal Health Coverage, noting that the issue of human resources for health which has been a major issue is also being looked into.

The WMA President disclosed that conversations were already going on to see how WMA can move pragmatically to ensure a win-win for everyone stressing that physicians and stakeholders in various parts of the world have expressed their commitment towards making efforts to further strengthen the healthcare systems in underserved communities, including Nigeria and other countries in Africa.

While stating that efforts will be made to hold a WMA program in the state next year, Dr Enabulele explained that it will afford them the opportunity of seeing what the Government of the State has achieved in the healthcare sector and other sectors of the state.

Dr Enabulele thanked the Governor for the government’s support and physical presence in Berlin during his inauguration in Berlin. He particularly thanked him for sending the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shuaibu to represent the Edo State government at the event.

Mr Obaseki congratulated Dr Enabulele on his inauguration in Berlin describing it as an appointment well earned and deserved and calls for celebration and accolades on the part of the state.

” It is quite instructive that in today’s world where health issues have become topical and have become part of geopolitics, that a Nigerian, an African and an Edo person has been elected to provide leadership and direction. For us, it just tells a lot about what we potentially can be as a country and a continent”.

Mr Obaseki said Dr Enabulele’s appointment was designed by God, especially in this era of the pandemic where the country is suffering from brain drain adding that it calls for a lot of work and God’s guidance.

” We have no choice but to strengthen our health care systems, especially in Nigeria. What we need to do at the national level is not insurmountable, it’s not something we can not do within half a decade. The resources and capacity already exist. We saw the way you guys responded to Covid, we will talk and have a fresh rethink about human resources and capital development for our health system. There has to be another way because the gap we need to fill is quite huge. That is where we will be relying on you, your thinking and your reach”.

At the visit was the Wife of the WMA President, Dr Mrs Joan Enabulele, a past President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Dominic Osaghae mni, the CMD of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, the Chairman of Edo State chapter of Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr Udoka Imoisili, and the Secretary, Dr Collins Otoikhila, and members of other affiliated associations, amongst others.

In another development, the WMA President also paid a thank-you visit to the Chief Medical Director of, the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, and the entire Management of the hospital.