By Saidu Idris
The Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), has disclosed plans to mark its centenary anniversary in May with a ‘One-Day National Dialogue’ on the state of the healthcare in Nigeria.
Its National President, Dr. Iyke Odo, made this known over the weekend in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
He explained that the national dialogue was aimed at providing a “much needed platform for the private sector players in our economy to come together and proffer solutions to the several challenges bedeviling the health sector in Nigeria.”
Through this event, according to the association, a blue print on genuine and workable policy formulation, that would assist both the federal and state governments, in tackling the problems in the health sector, would be developed.
Dr. Odo also revealed that the association would, on May 25, 2021, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, launch a N10 billion appeal fund, intended to be used to implement the AGPMPN’s ‘give back to the society projects’, which is aimed at improving the healthcare in Nigeria by saving lives through strategic medical interventions across the nation.
These people-oriented projects, include Save One Million Nigerian Mothers Initiative, which is targeted at reducing the high rate of maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria, as records show that Nigeria has one of the worst rates of infant and maternal mortality in the world.
AGPMPN, according to Dr. Odo, also plans to build, as part of its centenary anniversary, a world class, multi-specialist ‘Mother and Child’ hospital in Abuja, that would compete with any top hospital anywhere in the world, hence the appeal fund.
And in furtherance to its nationwide advocacy and mobilisations for its coming centenary anniversary activities, the AGPMPN last Sunday, paid a courtesy visit to former governor of Rivers State and Proprietor/Pro-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Science, Dr. Peter Odili, in his country home in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
The visit is one in a series to high profile Nigerians to drum support for its centenary anniversary programmes, the association said, adding that its National President, Dr. Odo; AGPMPN’s 2nd Vice President, Dr. Ernest Chukwuma and the Secretary, Rivers State Chapter, Dr. Joseph Olawuyi were part of the delegation.