Anambra Physicians’ Week: NMA Advocates Strong Referral Systems
The Nigeria Medical Association says there is an urgent need to strengthen every link in the healthcare value chain with well crafted and evidence-based policies in order to link Primary Healthcare, secondary, and tertiary facilities for effective delivery.
Prof. Bala Audu, President of NMA who made the call at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Physicians’ Week of NMA, Anambra Branch in Nnewi on Tuesday said called for a stronger and integrated referral system.
Audu who was represented by Dr Princeton Okam, Chairman of NMA in Anambra said the Nigerian healthcare system was overstretched noting that the value chain would not function where doctors and other health professionals worked under unfavourable conditions.
The theme of the Week was “Healthcare as a Value Chain: Building Efficiency from Policy to Patient”.
Audu called fo a coordinated, accountable, and effective health system where every component from policy formulation to patient care was optimised to deliver true value to the Nigerian people.
The NMA President said the Nigerian healthcare system was weak because of policy incoherence, poor financing mechanisms, non workforce sustainability, and inadequate system integration.
He said Nigeria’s health expenditure was 4.08 percent of GDP which was below the global average with a healthy life expectancy of approximately 55 years while health worker density is about 1.83 per 1,000 populations.
“NMA calls for a
comprehensive policy reform driven by implementation and measurable accountability, re-engineered health financing focused on preventive and primary care.
“The consequence is a health system that is overstretched, underfunded, and underperforming.
“Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio continues to hover above 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births and up to 80 percent of deaths in rural communities are linked to weaknesses in the primary healthcare system.
“We therefore demand implementation-ready policies that are context-sensitive, inclusive and aligned with the realities at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
“Our financing model must evolve beyond fragmented, reactive spending, every naira allocated must add measurable value to patient outcomes,” he said.
Audu said the exodus of skilled professionals and brain drain crisis must be addressed with intentional incentives and supportive policies noting that without a strong workforce, every other link would collapse
He said to fix the problem of primary health centres without basic equipment, essential medicines, or functioning referral systems, they must be integrated and linked with secondary, and tertiary facilities.
“NMA wants a Nigeria where every pregnant woman in a rural community will have timely access to skilled care, drugs are available, referrals are seamless, and where doctors are empowered to save lives rather than struggle against systemic failure,” he said.
In his Chairman’s welcome address, Okam said the 2025 Anambra State Physicians’ Week/ and Scientific Conference was an event with a series of activities which reminded members of their Hippocratic Oath.
The Chairman said it was a time to look back and re-assess their practices as doctors, leaders in the health team as well as review the prevailing circumstances affecting effective health care delivery to the public.
He said activities in the one week-long programme included lectures, visit to sick and aged members, visit to orphanage homes, school career and health talk,
indoor and outdoor games, medical outreaches, awards, luncheon and church thanksgiving.
“It is my earnest desire that this year’s Physicians’ Week will impact us positively even as we all strive towards living a fulfilled life that will leave indeli
ble marks in the sands of time,” he said.
