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The beautiful city of Plymouth was made even more colourful by the presence of over 100 members of the Medical Association of Nigerian Specialists and General Practitioners, MANSAG, for its 20th annual scientific conference. The event took place from Friday October 13th to Sunday November 1st, at the city’s Holiday Inn which also happens to be in close proximity to where negotiations leading to Nigeria’s independence were finalized in the late 1950s. The theme of this year’s conference was, “Health Care Delivery in Nigeria: Role of Nigerians in Diaspora.” Delegates hit the ground running with workshops held soon after arrival and registration. Workshops were on ‘Status of malaria and HIV control in Nigeria’, ‘Diversification and career change’ and ‘mentoring skills’ conducted by Dr Yomi Opaneye, Dr. Enoma Alade and Mrs Jumeye Akoh respectively. The interactive sessions provided avenues for delegates to learn as well as share thoughts and ideas.

Saturday was packed with programmes for both the delegates and their guests. A coach tour of the model village in Torquay and a visit to the Plymouth Aquarium gave the children and accompanying adults the chance to enjoy the beauty of this 15th most populous, ship building-influenced city in England.

The Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Kevin Foster, was present to welcome delegates to the city and wished them every success in their deliberations adding: “I hope that what you decide here would help give the Nigerian health care system a new lease of life” Also present to share ideas and lend support was the President of the Association of Nigerian Physicians of American, ANPA, Dr. Julius Kpaduwa.

In his opening address, the outgoing President of MANSAG, Dr. Stanley Okolo retraced the steps of the association to its current vibrant stage. “With little steps we have arrived at a place that today in Plymouth, all members can be rightly proud of what we have all collectively achieved,” he announced. But he cautioned that there are still challenges ahead including ensuring that MANSAG continues to give succour to doctors in professional difficulty, mentoring to trainee doctors and improving the health of the average Nigerian back home. “MANSAG should continue to partner with ANPA, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA and the Federal Ministry of Health to promote effective health policies,” he concluded. Dr. Okolo also thanked other members of his out-going Executive Committee.

The morning session of the conference looked at the public and private partnerships in health care deliver in Nigeria. Present to share their experiences were Dr.I. Wada, the Medical Director of Garki Hopsital in Abuja, and Mr. Dayo Ogundayo of Impress (Financial) Ventures in London. According to Dr, Wada, “an ideal health care system should be available, accessible and affordable but the Nigerian public sector is still dogged by decaying infrastructure and equipment, low worker morale, poor budgetary allocation, political instability and frequent policy shifts.” He continued, “The private sectors; though better, have small size facilities, covers narrow areas of specialization and are out of reach to the average citizen,” He advocated a union between the government and the private sector. This, according to him, would free government funds that could be ploughed into primary health care and preventive medicine “Nigerian government should support the health care of the common people.”

Mr. Ogundayo called on the government to create an enabling environment and policy that would help foster effective public-private partnership by creating policies that are attractive to investors in health care delivery. He added that “Nigeria needs people within the medical profession who can articulate the investment opportunities in their area of expertise.” He continued, “the role of the financial industry is critical but it cannot take the sole responsibility of making the public-private partnership work. We need to walk should to shoulder.”

On the role of Nigerians in Diaspora, Dr Polycarp Gana reminded the gathering of Nigeria’s high mortality and low immunization rates. According to him, challenges facing the country include a weak health care system, inadequate training and adequate motivated staff. “For our country to make progress, it must harness the rich potentials of its indigenes in Diaspora.” His speech struck some chords as many present discussed what they have done on individual basis for the welfare of fellow Nigerians back home. These included offering free lectures and medical services, donating medical, scientific and technological equipments. The afternoon session included talks by some noted UK doctors of Nigerian origin on ‘Health and Technology Transfer’, while Dr. Peter Ozua, a Consultant Histopathologist dealt with ‘Equipment and Skills Transfer.’ He enjoined the members to always give equipment, books and other materials that are relevant to the hospital they are donating to. He also implored them to make the resident doctors their target whenever they volunteer their times back home. “Giving back reminds you that you’re somebody because your services are welcomed and appreciated.”

Delegates also looked into Renal Transplantation through the expert eyes of Mr. Jacob Akoh, a Consultant General and Transplant Surgeon. Sixty thousand people are in need of transplants in Nigeria yet the country lacks manpower, has poor dialysis and rudimentary laboratory facilities. Dr Akoh saw the frequent trips abroad by Nigerian patients for dialysis as big drains on foreign exchange and reserves, and advocated improved infrastructure like electricity and better roads to enable trained Nigerians to carry out organ transplants. According to him, in the long term, this would work out cheaper than dialysis.

The highlight of the conference was a keynote address by the Honourable Federal Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin on behalf of His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Feeling in good company with fellow practitioners, he reminded them that “we the doctors have an opportunity to provide the leadership that would draw our country back to where it was before things fell apart.” He bemoaned the penchant for strikes by colleagues at home, adding that the NMA should improve its image. He advised the British-based doctors to mentor the junior ones and called for a virtual committee to be formed between the NMA, ANPA and MANSAG, concluding, “We need to get ourselves together and act together to make a lot of difference.”

Delegates brought the day’s deliberations to an end with a general meeting where there was a change of baton from the outgoing executive to the incoming one. New officials include: Dr. Dilly Anumba (President), Dr. C. Eliezar Okirie (Secretary General), Dr. Nkem Oyeador (Social and Welfare Secretary), Dr. Omi Ohizua (Financial Secretary), Dr. Steve Ogbonmwan (Pro/Fund Raising Officer), and Dr. Deinde Arayomi (Treasurer). In an interview, Dr. Okirie expressed his willingness to serve the association adding, “It is going to be challenging and I know that we have a lot to achieve within a short time. We are already looking forward to rolling out our plans.”For the attendees, the weekend was a chance to remind themselves once again about the joys of having a tie with Nigeria. With all business over, delegates and their guests relaxed with an evening filled with a gala dinner, jokes and live music that infused current music trends for the junior doctors, with those enjoyed by the older ones. The dance floor vibrated until the early hours of the morning.

Surveying the young doctors at the conference, Dr. James Nwabineli, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in North Shields, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said, “Generations after us are still keen to see things happen in Nigeria.” Echoing the feeling of the young doctors about the conference, Dr. Obi Ozieh, a trainee paediatrician, said that the meeting was filled with good ideas. “It is like a centrepiece and people can dip in, take some idea and run with it.”

The success of the conference was due to the efforts made by the Plymouth Local Organising Committee, to whom all delegates offered A Big Thank You for giving them all a weekend to remember.