By Donald Ojebo
Medical doctors have been charged to uphold the Hippocratic Oath they swore to, which spelt out their professional conduct and obligations as doctors that they treat the sick to the best of their ability.
The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye gave the charge today in Asaba, when the President, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and members of the National Executive Council (NEC) paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
The Commissioner frowned at the situation where some doctors act in ways that tend to bring the medical profession into public disrepute, such as not being in their duty posts because of pursuit of their private practice.
He said that some deaths recorded in the hospitals could have been prevented only if the Doctors had been a little bit more attentive to the care of their patients and called for more commitment on their part.
Dr. Ononye used the medium to request the doctors to use their position to help recommend capable hands to run the State’s newly built medical facilities (Mother and Child Center and the Advance Medical Diagnostic Center) at Owa Alero, Ika North East LGA, which will be commissioned soon as some doctors who earlier applied for vacancies in the facilities did not meet the conditions as contained in the advert for vacancies.
Dr Ononye also used the medium to invite the delegates to find time and visit the facilities before the end of their stay in the State.
He advised doctors to take up leadership positions both in their place of work and the society as this is one way they can become politically relevant.
He described as unacceptable the situation where Commissioners in some States are not Medical Doctors and urged them to properly position themselves to take charge where ever they find themselves.
Earlier, Dr. Uche Ojinmah, President, Nigerian Medical Association said they were in Delta for the National Executive Committee Meeting, which is being hosted by the State, hence they thought it wise to pay a courtesy visit on the Commissioner.
He commended the Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for the assistance he has always given to the State’s Nigeria Medical Association and its activities and the role he also played that led to health bills passed during his stay at the Senate.
The Nigeria Medical Association, National Executive Committee (NEC) is made of the Presidents and Secretaries of the various NMA 36 State Branches and Abuja and they would be in the State from the 11th to the 18th if December, 2022.
