From: Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has introduced off-jobs diversification mechanism to protect its members from depression and culpable suicide.
National Secretary-General of the Association, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, who stated this while speaking at the Continues Education programme for Kebbi State chapter of NMA at the weekend .
He said that after a member of the association committed suicide in Lagos recently, a legal committee had been set up to designed mechanism on how to address depression among members.
In the words of Sununu, “What we agreed upon Immediately one of our member die is that, we directed the Lagos state chapter of NMA to investigate the problem and condition that led to the death of our colleague.
” Also, we have directed Committee on legal to develop measure to identifies any sign of depression among our colleagues so that we can have pro- active measure to safe guide them against avoidable hazard “.
Kebbi State chairman of NMA, Dr. Haruna S. Musa, in his remark, said that the association designed the Continues Education for Doctors as part of the measures to protect them from depression and management of on the jobs risks.
His words, ” Machinery have been put in place to ensure that they didn’t succumbed to unnecessary stress. We are organising this kind of programme periodically to ensure that we creates avenues for ourselves to discussed our problems, how to do away with it practically.
“You find out that Doctors are always on their duties, working and sometimes, many if them may be troubled. So, by coming together, such issue can be discussed and can put it across to appropriates channels.”
While presenting his lecture titled ” the role of Public Private Partnership in health delivery “,Prof. Jacob Legbo of Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto State advised NMA members to redirect their income to investment that could multiplies their income and ensure proper monitoring to avoid failure.
” it is known that profession like this ,there is risk and one of the risk is the risk of stressed. Individuals differ in a way we would manage our stress. I think there are better ways of managing stress instead of taken ones live.
“The main challenges of many health practitioners is what next after their retirement; they would be thinking of how to take care family, children and dependent. So ,what we are discussing here today, how to diversify, be entrepreneur would help us a lot”.
Guest speakers at the ceremony including Prof. Jacob Legbo from Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, Dr. Abdulrahman Aliu, Medical Director of Godiya Clinic and Dr. M.S A Yakub had educated medical practitioners on how to invest wisely ahead of retirement and reduced pressures from dependants.