By Michael Ezenwata
The Nigerian Medical Association Anambra State has concluded its 2025 Annual General Meeting/ Scientific Conference with the theme,”From Drain To Gain, Strategy For Building Nigerian Health Workforce Capacity’.
In a welcome address, the Chairman of the association, Dr.Princeston Okam listed the sub themes of the conference,”The Digital Doctor Enhancing Telemedicine,’ and “AI And Other Digital Health Tools And Time To Integrate Introductory Forensic Courses Into Nigerian Medical And Dental Curricular” added to the main theme as subject matters if actualized, will enhance medical practice in the state and beyond.
Dr.Okam listed the NMA prestigious awardees; former acting Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Professor Joseph Ikechebelu, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr.Afam Obidike,and Dr.Nonye Soludo, wife of the Anambra State Governor, Prof.Chukwuma Soludo as distinguished personalities who have excelled in their various professional careers.
He eulogized Governor Soludo for giving the health care system in the state a facelift through infrastructural upgrades, personnel recruitment,among other health reforms.
During the conference,the Awka Zonal Chairman of the NMA and State Auditor, Dr.Basil Dim aptly presented an annual audit report of the association and used the forum to suggest an improvement in the demands of the health sector.
Dr.Dim urged the federal government to make available, health facilities and providing an enabling environment for the true practice of medicine to reduce the mass exodus of medical doctors and other health workers to overseas for greener pastures.
In a message to the occasion, Dr.Chukwunonso Obi a member of the association appreciated Dr Okam and his team for piloting the affairs of the association well and also used the forum to ask for more attention to be paid to the demands of health to check the high rate of medical brain drain.
In their separate remarks, the Chairman of the award giving ceremony and former state Chairman of the association, Dr.Emma Monago , the Local Organizing Chairman of the Scientific Conference, Dr.Anthony Ude,and a former Awka Zonal Chairman of the Association, Dr.Johnson Ezedinachi called for an improvement in the nation’s health sector to check the incessant push by medical doctors and other health workers for greener pastures overseas.
One of the high points of the occasion was the citation of Prof.Ikechebelu presented by the past State Secretary of the Association Dr.Louis Nwajiaku.
Among the numerous achievements of the former Vice Chancellor of Unizik included; authoring over 213 journal articles, nine book chapters with over 5,000 citations an h- index of 34, establishing the Life institution for Endoscopy training over 400 doctors and 40 nurses in Laparoscopy and advanced procedures and serving as the Chairman and Chief Examiner of the Faculty of Obstetrics and gynecology West African College of Surgeons.
- Ezenwata is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State *
