Dora Akunyili: NMA Regrets Wrong Diagnosis in US

The Nigerian Medical Association has described as “pathetic” the diagnostic recommendations made by the United States medical doctors for the late former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, which allegedly led to her death.

Punch reports that the NMA president, Dr. Kayode Obeme, while speaking at a press briefing on Thursday evening in Abuja, bemoaned the lack of trust for medical doctors in the country by Nigerians, warning that time had come for confidence to be restored in the services rendered by medical doctors in the country in order to stem the tide of Nigerians dying abroad.
He said:

“It is very pathetic; diagnosis was carried out on Prof. Akunyili in Nigeria but like everything in Nigeria, they said ‘go and confirm in the US or UK’. There, they said there was nothing wrong with her, but now it is a different story. 

That is why we have been advocating that every Nigerian should have a medical doctor through health insurance and community health coverage, we can prevent such cases from happening.”

In a letter addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, the NMA said doctors would embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government failed to adhere to previous agreements reached with the association. Obeme gave the government 14 days to meet the demands of the NMA or risk grounding of medical services across the country.