PREAMBLE
The College of Nigerian Pathologists (CNP) held her 13th National Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) Lagos, from Wednesday 28th to Friday 30th November 2018. The Theme of the conference was ‘Financing Clinical Laboratory Services for the 21st Century: Public-Private Partnership or other Models’ while the subtheme was 'Recent Advances in Pathology.'
The opening ceremony was chaired by a foremost medical practitioner, academic and university administrator Professor Tolu Odugbemi, OON, NNOM, Hon. Dsc, PhD, MD, FAS, DFMC. Notable medical and academic personalities from all parts of the country were in attendance. These include but not limited to the President of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) Prof da-Lilly Tariah and the President of the Nigerian Medical Association Professor Francis Faduyile, Prof John Obafunwa former Vice Chancellor Lagos State University, Professor Victor Wakwe former President NPMCN, Dr Faye Abbiyesuku Chairman Faculty of Pathology NPMCN, Prof GO Ibegbulem immediate past Secretary Faculty of Laboratory Medicine West African College of Physicians Nigeria Chapter and Prof PO Olatunji Vice Chairman Africa Society for Blood Transfusion (ECOWAS) and Chairman Excellence Award Selection Committee. Highlight of activities included oral presentations of scientific works, workshops and special plenary sessions. Special presentations were made by Major General Tilewa Amusu (rtd); Professor Oyinlola Oduyebo; Professors Yinka Akande, M. S. Shehu, and Professor Oyewale Tomori OON, on critical issues pertaining to the speciality of pathology in Nigeria.
The guest lecture on the theme was delivered by Mrs Clare Omatseye, MD/CEO JNCI Ltd.
The high point of the opening ceremony was the official declaration and unveiling of change of name from Association of Pathologists of Nigeria (ASSOPON) to College of Nigerian Pathologists (CNP) by Dr Kenneth C Iregbu, President CNP.
The Conference also featured Excellence Awards to four (4) eminent pathologists in recognition of their enormous contributions to the field of Pathology, Practice of Medicine, public service and humanity in general. These were Professor Tolu Odugbemi OON, NNOM, a foremost Medical Microbiologist; Professor Aba Omotunde Sagoe KJW, a foremost Haematologist and Blood Transfusionist; Professor Olumuyiwa Adebayo Afonja, a foremost Chemical Pathologist; and Professor Williams Olufemi Odesanmi, a foremost Anatomic Pathologist and forensic Expert.
2. OBSERVATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS
Following exhaustive deliberations at the Annual General Meeting, the following observations and resolutions were made:
2.1: Pathology Residency Training:
2.1.1 The meeting noted with sadness the fast dwindling number of residents in training, especially in pathology, due to refusal or reluctance of hospital managements to fill the numerous existing vacancies for Pathology Residency Training in almost all the accredited institutions in Nigeria with the Pathology disciplines worst affected. This has led to unimaginable frustrations in these disappointed young doctors. Nigeria has about 500 practising pathologists serving a population of about 200 million translating to a ratio of about one pathologist to 400,000 persons as against the standard of one pathologist to 20,000 persons. This ratio of pathologists to population is less than 10% of that in the United States and United Kingdom, and estimates show that at the current rate of education and training in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, it could take up to 500 years for the number of pathologists per 1000 population to reach that of US or UK.
The CNP calls on the Federal Ministry of Health to as a matter of urgent national importance direct all accredited hospitals to immediately fill all vacant residency positions, especially in pathology.
2.2: 21st Century Brain Drain:
2.2.1 CNP observes the high rate of emigration of doctors of all cadres to other climes for greener pastures, following frustrations of unemployment in spite of numerous vacancies, lack of necessary working tools, excess workload and exhaustion, poor and unregulated work environment, and poor professional/career fulfilment . The College further notes that the nation’s health and medical education systems are at great risk of collapse if nothing is done now. It therefore appeals to government at various levels to absorb the roaming population of medical personnel into the care system to avert an imminent collapse, while at the same time providing enabling environment to optimal productivity.
2.3: Poor State of Clinical Laboratories
2.3.1 The nation’s clinical laboratory system remains embarrassingly sub-optimal in performance due to lack of re-training of staff, absence of quality systems and practice, obsolete and dysfunctional infrastructure and equipment and the lack of political will to do what is right to align our clinical laboratory practices with global standards.
2.3.2 CNP calls on governments across the nation to give the clinical laboratories the deserved
attention as the information generating unit of the hospitals for evidence-based practice. Staff retraining in a highly dynamic practice must be made a priority in addition to provision of modern equipment and infrastructure.
2.4: Public Private Partnership (PPP) model of Healthcare financing
2.4.1 The seeming reluctance of hospital managements to embrace public private partnership I
running the clinical laboratories despite its adoption as a program of government approved by the National Council of Health since 2005 remains inexplicable. More so, the College regrets that despite a most widely held proof that a well structured PPP is the reasonable way to upgrade the quality of equipment, infrastructure and quality of services in our clinical laboratories and health care generally, this program is yet to gain serious recognition and implementation.
2.4.2 CNP calls on with government and managers of public health institutions to realistically embrace PPP as a viable option to reversing the decay in infrastructure and equipment. It further calls on government to remove every obstacle hindering the smooth and effective implementation of PPP.
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Signed:
Dr Kenneth C. Iregbu Dr Akeem Oyeyemi Lawal
President Ag Secretary General