Health sector needs 10 million workers globally to achieve universal coverage
By Elvis Omoregie, Benin
The globe is in need of no less than 10million health workers to strike a balance. This was disclosed by the outgoing President of the World Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, yesterday at Benin Airport, upon his return from Kigali Rwanda, where he officially handed over the baton to his successor from China.
Dr Osahon Enabulele who was given a resounding welcome with Benin cultural troups dancing to the tune of a proud father welcoming his son home, and members of his Medical Professionals along with Student Doctors who were on ground to show solidarity graciously, expressed that 10million health workers are needed globally, while Africa needs about 5.3million health workers to measure up with other contemporary continents in the World.
He described his one year experience as President of WMA as intriguing and satisfactory, having added more experience to his medical profile and also made remarkable impacts globally.
”As the immediate past World Medical President, I had the opportunity to make impact at the global level and my Joy today, is that I have been able to prove to them that Africa has a voice, Nigeria has a voice and Edo State has a voice and the people from Africa can also make impact in the World Medical Association and I think that has been one of the greatest revelation in my tenure.”
Dr Osahon further stressed that the consistent pushing for Resident Health Care System has attracted global acceptance which would encourage Medical Professionals and Physicians mostly in Africa to stay in their Countries and reduce the brain drain which is currently a menace in Africa due to unfavorable working condition.
“I have been pushing for our leaders to create a decent working environment in addition to competitive wages for health workers and Physicians in Africa. So, we can have a lot of them stay in our continent, rather than always leaving our people in Africa to suffer terrible health conditions.
“So, these are some of the global health realisation that has come to stay and I am happy that even the World Health Organization has accepted it in its latest launch in what we called ‘the global health care workers compass’ which is supposed to obligate government workers across the world more than ever before to get committed to the issue of health workers who are striving more than ever before to ensure that Citizens and humanity are well catered for and are also provided for,” he said.
Speaking further, he decried the high level of violence against medical workers, which according to him is also being addressed.
He added that bills are being sponsored to ensure policy instrument which are capable to protect medical workers are put in place.
As part of his achievement as World Medical President, he revealed that he had put in place Global Excellence Award to distinguish medical workers who are doing exceedingly well and to encourage them in the Medical Profession.
He further added that he has also initiated the Dublin Roundtable and Leadership development series to help build the capacity of those in the health care system.
“All these and more, I have put in place so that we have capable leaders who are prepared to build the healthcare system in more fundamental ways. The World Health Organization is working with the World Medical Association to see how we can together get to a point of realisation and adopt it in the World Health Assembly which will be held in Geneva,” he said.
