By Damilare Adeleye
Dr. Benjamin Oluwatosin Olowojebutu, Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, has advocated collaboration between the state government and health workers in order to surmount various challenges bedeviling the state health sector.
Dr Oluwatosin, who made this call while speaking at the 9th African Conference on One Health and Biosecurity held at Radisson Anchorage, Victoria Island, noted that health challenges required a comprehensive and collaborative approach, from communicable diseases to non-communicable illnesses, from inadequate healthcare infrastructure to robust preventive measures.
He said added that the government as policies maker must synergise with the front line workers including the doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, and support staff to transform such policies into tangible, life-changing actions.
In his words: “Lagos State, a beacon of economic vitality and cultural diversity, has achieved remarkable strides in various sectors. However, the health challenges facing our communities demand a united front, a strategic partnership that transcends bureaucratic boundaries and fosters a shared commitment to the welfare of our people.
“One of the prominent challenges bedeviling the health sector is the lack of synergy. At no time in our national life have we been bereaved of ideas or innovative minds, but nurturing a seamless coordinating point or confluence for these ideas has continually eluded us.
“For decades, I have painfully watched several administrations come and go, strangely with the best intentions yet achieving the least possible result.
“Conversely, I have seen countless diligent and committed health workers struggle to make positive impacts yet blatantly and woefully fail because the tide of government policies and preferences vehemently blew against their noble attempts.
“The government sets the agenda, formulates policies, and allocates resources. However, the dedicated workers on the front lines—the doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, and support staff—transform policies into tangible, life-changing actions. Their commitment and expertise are the catalysts for positive change.
“Let us not forget that health challenges are multifaceted and complex. The tapestry of health challenges requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach, from communicable diseases to non-communicable illnesses, from inadequate healthcare infrastructure to robust preventive measures. To navigate this intricate landscape, seamless collaboration between government and workers is not merely an option but the linchpin of success.
“Pathetically, there can never be sustainable development when gaps between government and workers are allowed to fester or even grow bigger into a retarding gulf.
“Instead, sustainable growth and development thrive on collaboration, synergy, unity, shared values, goals, and purpose.
It is instructive to note that the genesis of national development in this context begins with thrashing and abolishing the aged competitive bout of “Who is more relevant and powerful?”
“Expectedly, this barbaric question has done more harm than good. The government and workers are either sides of a prosperous coin – both are equally important in birthing a prosperous nation.
“Forging a stakeholder mindset is helpful and progressive for the development of any nation. This will help the government and workers interplay as a team, not competitors.
“On its part, the government must be willing to support workers and pay all legitimate remunerations as at when due – away with the monstrous notion of making workers see their rights as privileges or using force to batter them to silence.
“Government must wake up and be alive to its responsibilities. Training health workers, adequately equipping health facilities, and promulgating laws that are friendly to patients and medical practitioners must be given the required priority. It is wrong to make a demand before investment.
“In the same vein, workers must be proactive in dispensing their duties with honesty, diligence, and devotion. No worker should expect to reap what he/she hasn’t sowed. The era of giving questionable promotion, recognition, and recommendation must be phased out.
The culture of professionalism and discipline must be nurtured out of coma. The arbitrariness and ‘anyhowness’ attitude must be painstakingly thinned and annihilated.
“Meritocracy must return as the ladder of professional growth, not ethnic or religious bigotry. Each and every worker must know what his/her duties are and must perform them without fail. Erring and indolent workers must be sanctioned and appropriately punished. The government must be transparent and held accountable for its actions and inactions.
“Yes, we can identify, navigate, and journey the path of success and development together. But individually and in acrimony, we would struggle, fail, and perform below our best.
“Here is a clarion call to unite and build together. A new era of envious development beckons on us, and we must collectively take this chance to build a health sector that is patient-oriented, rewarding to health practitioners, and 21st-century compliant.
“Imagine a Lagos where government initiatives are met with swift and efficient implementation by a motivated and well-equipped workforce. Envision a healthcare system where innovation and expertise flow seamlessly from the policy table to the patient’s bedside. This is not a utopian dream but a tangible reality that can be achieved through collaboration.
“In conclusion, let us recommit ourselves to the idea that, in unity, we find strength. Together, we can build a legacy that stands the test of time, one where the health of our citizens is not just a priority but a testament to the effectiveness of our collaboration. May our shared commitment to the well-being of Lagos State be the cornerstone of a healthier and brighter future for all.”
Notable guests at the conference include Dr Hamzat Obafemi-Hamzat; Deputy Governor Lagos, Professor Akin Abayomi; Honorable Commisioner of Health Lagos, Mr Olatunbosun Alake; Commisioner of Science and Technology, Permanent Secretaries in the ministries of health and primary health board and other health districts in Lagos.