By Jamiu Ganiyu
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Osun State chapter has kicked against an attempt by Osun House of Assembly to initiate law that would bar its members in the public service against owing private hospitals describing the move as an attempt to cause confusion in the state.
This was part of the reaction of Osun State Chairman of the Association, Professor Edward Komolafe while speaking with newsmen yesternight on the opinion of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
Professor Edward appealed to the state parliament to exercise caution on the issue as he asserted that their regulating body which is Dental Medical Association of Nigeria allows doctors in the public hospitals to have a private clinic.
He said there are laws and regulations guiding the practices of doctors in the country that what is expected of government medical doctors is not to be in their private hospitals when they are supposed to be at work.
The NMA boss said the state has not even met up with their demands in terms of welfare and yet want to make attempt to bar them from private practices.
It will be recalled that osun.life had earlier reported that the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye said the state parliament under his leadership would introduce a law which if become operational would bar medical doctors in public service in the state to own private clinics except they have been in service for a minimum of 20 years.
The call by the speaker of Osun State parliament was as a result of sad practices by government doctors who refer patients in the public hospitals to their personal private clinics for treatment thereby sabotaging the efforts of the government at delivering quality healthcare service to the citizenry at low or no cost.