The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said that the country needs clear, measurable and adequately funded healthcare policies to address persistent challenges in the health sector and guarantee citizens access to quality and affordable medical services.
The Ogun State Chairman of the association, Dr Sunday Enimola, stated this on Monday at a news conference to commemorate the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria”, held at the NMA House, Abeokuta.
Enimola noted that the nation’s healthcare system was at a crossroads, appealing for it to be treated as a strategic investment in national security, economic productivity, prosperity and human development.
He maintained that healthcare issues should not be relegated to the margins of governance and electoral campaigns.
The medical professional, flanked by other executive members of the association, called on political parties and candidates contesting the 2027 general elections to make healthcare financing, improved welfare for medical professionals and universal health coverage central to their manifestoes.
He used the occasion to present the association’s healthcare agenda for the incoming government in Ogun State and called for greater attention to healthcare in political discussions.
Enimola urged political parties, presidential and governorship candidates, legislators and other political office seekers to demonstrate their commitment to the sector through specific policy proposals with clear funding arrangements, implementation timelines and measurable targets.
The NMA also called for urgent measures to address the migration and shortage of doctors and other healthcare professionals through improved remuneration, better working conditions, career development opportunities and policies that would encourage qualified personnel to remain in the country.
It further urged governments at all levels to strengthen the protection of healthcare workers against assault, intimidation and workplace violence, noting that hospitals should provide safe environments for medical personnel to discharge their duties and for patients to receive treatment.
The association stressed the importance of strengthening primary healthcare as the foundation of the national health system, with improved immunisation, maternal and child healthcare, reproductive health services, disease surveillance and screening for non-communicable diseases. It also advocated expanded health insurance coverage to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure and protect vulnerable households from financial hardship arising from illness.
Enimola called for greater investment in digital health systems, including electronic medical records, telemedicine and integrated health information platforms, to improve patient care, disease monitoring and evidence-based policy decisions.
The NMA chairman called on Nigerians to embrace preventive healthcare, undergo regular medical check-ups and seek professional medical advice when necessary.
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