Akwa Ibom PSN demands employment of Pharmacists in govt hospitals – The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State branch, has voiced worry about the nation’s low pharmacist per capita ratio and demanded that pharmacists be hired to cover any vacancies in any of the state’s public hospitals.
Akwa Ibom PSN demands employment of Pharmacists in govt hospitals
The appeal was included in the resolution adopted at the conclusion of the 2023 Akwa Ibom Pharmacy Week, which had the topic “Pharmacists: Strengthening Health Systems” and was held last week in Uyo, according to a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday.
Part of it reads: “The society noted that pharmacy practice ramifies with all the six building blocks, as enunciated by the World Health Organization, that enhance a strong health system which are; Service delivery, Health workforce, Information, Financing, Medical products, leadership and governance.
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” Identifies the lack of proper leadership and governance in our Hospitals and the Health sector at large as one of the key reasons for these sub-optimal health outcomes.
” The society is deeply concerned that the Pharmacist per capita ratio in Nigeria is 1: 22,000 ( based on 220M population) as against the World Health Organisation recommendation of 1: 5000.
“To this end, we call for the employment of Pharmacists to fill the existing gaps in some government hospitals in Akwa Ibom State. This will ensure that healthcare consumers have the benefits of pharmaceutical care and guarantee of safety in drug therapy
” It Commends the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno for his efforts in revitalizing Primary Health Centres in the state and the progress made in fulfilling his promise to deliver health insurance to Akwa Ibom people by setting up the State Health Insurance Agency”
The PSN advocated using pharmacists’ special skill sets to finance healthcare and involving community pharmacies in the state’s push for universal health coverage, according to the communiqué.
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It bemoaned the existence of a master-servant relationship, in which control was given to only a particular class of healthcare workers, in our hospitals and the healthcare industry as a whole.
Optimal health results can only be achieved through a teamwork approach to the delivery of healthcare, where every health professional with the necessary skills in hospital or health management can have the opportunity to oversee our hospitals.
Chairman and pharmacist Mfonobong Enobong Okon. Pharm Odudu Akpaete, Pharm Faith Robinson, Omoefe Igri, Pharm Ifiok Udoubak, and Pharm.Itoro Obong as individuals was part of the communique drafting committee.
