Health: Mental illness may rise over naira scarcity – NMA
The Nigerian Medical Association has called on the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria to proffer permanent solutions to the lingering naira and fuel scarcity crises in the country.
If not quickly resolved, the body said, the situation would result to an upsurge in mental ill-health among Nigerians
The association gave the warning on Friday in a statement jointly signed by the Plateau State chairman of the NMA, Dr. Lukden Stephen, and the Secretary, Dr. Bapigaan Audi, respectively.
The NMA said that having watched the unfolding developments within the polity over the past few weeks with keen interest, it was compelled to issue the statement regarding its possible negative impacts on the health of Nigerians.
The statement read, “Plateau State Branch of the NMA is deeply concerned and shares in the untold hardship and anguish that citizens have been and continue to be subjected to due to the now perennial problem of fuel scarcity,as well as the recent chaos surrounding the implementation of the Cash Swap policy by the apex bank.
“The needless torment being visited upon citizens have resulted largely from poor planning and staggered implementation which have come to define most Government policies in Nigeria; and the apparent never-ending shortage of petrol has seemed to defy any government intervention.”
“This unavailability of petrol has continued to subject doctors, hospitals and citizens to needless loss of man-hours spent on fuel queues often ending in futility or with purchase at very exorbitant rates, in addition to the physical and mental exertion that often accompany such.”
“That subjecting citizens to this psychological and physical turmoil in itself has the potential of leading to an upward surge in mental health illnesses (as well as physical injuries) arising from the despair, gloom and uncertainty which currently pervade the nation.
“Further impoverishing an already poor population places great hindrance to access to, and payment for health services, further worsening the already troubling health statistics in a nation where health expenditure is still largely made out of pocket. This is clearly shameful and unacceptable for a nation of Nigeria’s stature and age.
“That some of these insensitive and confusing policies are serving as further push factors driving doctors and other health care professionals out of Nigeria to other climes, worsening the already appalling doctor-to-patient ratio.
“Furthermore, these policies have also exposed the unsuspecting public to the unpatriotic greed of some elements within our society always desperate to cash in on the misfortunes and sufferings of fellow citizens who have used this opportunity to visit more hardship on the public.
“Though we appreciate the good intentions behind the cash swap policy, poor implementation and regulation have made ordinary Nigerians who the policy was meant to protect, suffer while the opulent political class continues with life with reports of huge sums of the new currency already being stacked by certain unpatriotic individuals to be used for the purpose of vote buying/manipulation.
“We urge our members to not only continue caring for their patients but to be mindful of their own health(especially mental health)and that of their loved ones during this period;while we call on citizens to be law-abiding despite the pains of the day.”
“We call on the Government to be reminded that no policy should bring this much suffering no matter how well-intentioned; and wish to seize this avenue to advise importantly, that conception/implementation of policies be done with a human face, bearing in mind the possible attendant consequences likely to emanate from such a policy such that measures are put in place to at best prevent these scarcities or at the very least, cushion their effects on the lives of citizens and the economy of our nation.”
