The Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire, has called for a change of attitude from medical doctors towards their patients in the course of discharging their duties.

According to a press statement released on Monday and signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Boade Akinola, Mr Ehanire made the call while receiving the new executive members of the National Medical Association (NMA), recently, in Abuja.

Mr Ehanire said compassion, integrity and selflessness in the line of duty is important as human lives are sacred and the medical profession is a divine calling.

He urged the executives to show compassion while managing emergency and accident cases in hospitals by ensuring that prompt and adequate attention is given to the victims as required.

“As keepers of a profession that has to do with human existence, you need compassion, dedication, integrity and selflessness. As team leaders you must remember to carry others along because quality healthcare delivery requires the cooperation of everyone involved, success requires team work.”

The statement said Mr Ehanire also called for better working relationship with other associations within the sector. This, he said would stem the tide of strike actions in the sector and its attendant consequences.

He assured the group of the Ministry’s partnership towards achieving a strike free and peaceful atmosphere in the sector.
In his remarks, the president of the association, Francis Faduyile said, there was need to ensure the release of the White Paper report by the Yayale Ahmed led Presidential Committee on experts on Inter- Professional Relationship in the Public Health Sector.

He said this would play a vital role towards achieving peace in the health sector.

He said the association under his watch was poised to partner with practitioners in the sector towards the delivery of quality healthcare to Nigerians.

The new executives of the association were elected in May 2018.