The Ogoni Medical Doctors have welcomed a healthcare venture launched by Khana-Gokana-Tai-Eleme (KAGOTE), saying that it is a great initiative towards the provision of quality health care and cooperation between doctors and leaders in Ogoniland.
The welcome was issued after a dinner between the President of KAGOTE, Chief Lesi Maol, and medical doctors in Ogoniland organized in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The meeting was attended by house officers, medical officers, resident doctors, consultants and professors as the first ever strategic engagement between the apex socio-cultural organization in Ogoniland and the doctors.
Addressing the gathering, Maol called on the doctors to move beyond clinical work by considering possibilities in healthcare entrepreneurship, innovation, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, hospital management and health financing.
He noted that the healthcare sector provides unlimited business opportunities and charged the professionals to prepare themselves to tap into the emerging sectors while providing better health care in Ogoniland and Nigeria.
Maol also tasked the doctors to conduct research on the health problems of Ogoniland and not just those intended to further their careers.
In a bid to develop the capacity of the people, Maol introduced a N40 million scholarship programme where ten Ogoni medical doctors will be supported in executing executive and professional business training at the University of Port Harcourt Business School.
Also see: Commercial Bus Kills Wheelbarrow Pusher In Port Harcourt
The rationale behind the initiative is that the people need to be taught how to run their businesses by developing leadership, management and entrepreneurial qualities necessary to start up sustainable health enterprises in the competitive environment of international medical industry.
Moreover, he has suggested collaboration between KAGOTE and Ogoni medical doctors in order to enhance access to health care services in the area through organizing periodic medical outreach programmes in Ogoniland and setting up an Ogoni Medical Trust Fund for the needy patients who require urgent attention.
An initial amount of N10 million has been offered to this fund by him. During the meeting, the doctors urged the conduct of thorough research on the major causes of death among Ogoni people, which will help in developing an evidence-based approach towards solving these problems.
The doctors also proposed sustained efforts to ensure that more students from Ogoniland join medical schools, specialization in crucial areas such as occupational and environmental health, as well as financial support to enable private practitioners to access new medical tools.
Moreover, the medical personnel emphasized the importance of cooperation between health professionals, community leaders, and development organizations to solve the peculiar health problems facing Ogoniland.
The doctors characterized the discussion as a pioneering move that could provide the basis for enhanced health care services, more medical research, and career and business opportunities for the medical practitioners from Ogoniland.
