The National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners, NAGGMDP, yesterday urged the Federal Government to extend the retirement age of medical practitioners to seventy (70) years to allow them to impact more knowledge on upcoming doctors.
The doctors made the call yesterday in a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
NAGGMDP also advised the Federal Government to prioritise the health sector, stating that extending the retirement age of medical practitioners will allow them to impact more knowledge in upcoming doctors.
According to the communique jointly signed by National President Dr Dokun Noel and General Secretary Dr Ekundare Folu, Nigeria is facing a severe shortage of doctors because many have emigrated to Europe, North America and the Middle East.
It added: “The NEC resolved that the government should immediately begin to consider the review of the retirement age of doctors to 70 years to retain experienced hands and also to cover for the acute shortage of doctors being witnessed currently.
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“The NEC also resolved that the government, especially state governors and local government authorities, should, as a matter of urgency, commence recruitment of doctors and make all necessary efforts to employ doctors to fill the spaces opened up by the brain drain/emigration of doctors and other health care workers.
“The NEC resolved that the Federal and State Government should provide affordable healthcare for Nigerians while making special considerations for children, the vulnerable and the aged, through a well funded National health insurance scheme which would reduce out-of-pocket payments.
“The NEC called on the relevant organs of Government to see urgent needs to increase the budgetary allocation to healthcare to be in line with WHO proposals/standards,” it read.
