NMA raises N20m for dead doctors' families

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) said it had raised a N20 million Educational Endowment Fund for the immediate support for families of its six members from Ekiti state who died in an auto accident on Tuesday.

This is contained in a communique issued by the association at the end of its 56th Annual General Conference and Delegates meeting in Sokoto on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that six medical doctors from Ekiti state and the driver of the vehicle in which they were travelling to Sokoto for the NMA AGM died in the crash which occurred along Kaduna-Abuja highway.

In the communiqué which was read at a news conference by newly-elected National President of NMA, Prof. Mike Ogirima, the association said that an inter-faith service in honour of the departed members would hold on May 16 in Ado Ekiti.

The association urged federal and state governments to urgently provide and station well-equipped, functional ambulances along major highways for immediate conveyance of injured victims of vehicular accidents to hospital.

''Furthermore, the federal and state governments should commence immediate rehabilitations of roads with proper and appropriate road signage on the major highways across the country.

''The meeting resolved that the former interim Administrator of Federal Medical Centre, Owi, Dr A.O.J. Kolajo, be suspended indefinitely and referred to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for further disciplinary action," it said.

The communique also stated that a free medical program was organized in Tangaza Local Government of Sokoto state as part of the AGM where general and specialist medical services were offered to the community.

It stated that 754 patients were seen during the program and that 120 general surgeries were successfully carried out.

NAN reports that the highlight of the event was the election of a six-member National Officers Committee to run the affairs of the Association for the next two years.

The new officers of the association are Prof. Mike Ogirima, President; Dr Kingsley Enweremadu and Dr Adamu Umar, 1st Vice President and 2nd Vice President, respectively.

Others are Dr Yusuf Sununu, Secretary-General; Dr Ahmed Attah-Jacob, Deputy Secretary-General and Dr Prince Dan-Jambo, National Treasurer.