President of KAGOTE, the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni people, Chief Lesi Maol, has unveiled a N50 million package aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery in Ogoniland and empowering Ogoni medical professionals.
The announcement was made during a dinner meeting with medical doctors from Ogoni in Port Harcourt.
The gathering brought together a cross-section of Ogoni medical practitioners, including house officers, medical officers, resident doctors, consultants, and professors of medicine, in what participants described as a first-of-its-kind strategic engagement between the KAGOTE leadership and the Ogoni medical community.
Addressing the gathering, Maol challenged the doctors to broaden their outlook beyond clinical practice by exploring the business and innovation opportunities within the healthcare sector.
He observed that the global healthcare industry is worth trillions of dollars annually and urged the doctors to critically assess their place within that value chain.
According to him, medical professionals should not limit themselves to providing clinical services alone but should venture into healthcare entrepreneurship, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, hospital management, medical manufacturing, health financing and other sectors capable of creating wealth while improving healthcare outcomes.
The KAGOTE president also encouraged the doctors to pursue research that directly addresses the health challenges confronting Ogoniland and Nigeria rather than undertaking academic research solely for career advancement and professional certifications.
As part of efforts to build leadership and entrepreneurial capacity among Ogoni doctors, the KAGOTE President announced a N40 million scholarship fund that will sponsor 10 Ogoni medical doctors to undergo executive and professional business training at the University of Port Harcourt Business School.
He said the initiative is intended to equip participants with the managerial and entrepreneurial skills required to build sustainable healthcare enterprises and compete effectively within the global medical industry.
In another major intervention, Chief Maol proposed a strategic partnership between KAGOTE and Ogoni medical practitioners to improve access to healthcare for vulnerable members of the community.
The proposal includes periodic free medical outreach programmes across Ogoniland as well as the establishment of an Ogoni Medical Trust Fund to provide financial assistance for emergency medical treatment of indigent Ogoni patients who cannot afford the cost of healthcare.
To kick-start the initiative, he pledged an initial N10 million to the proposed trust fund and called on well-meaning Ogonis, corporate organisations and development partners to support the programme.
The interactive session also provided an opportunity for the doctors to present their perspectives on improving healthcare delivery in Ogoniland.
Among the recommendations were the need to undertake comprehensive research into the leading causes of mortality in Ogoni communities to guide evidence-based health interventions; promote advocacy programmes aimed at attracting more Ogoni students into the medical profession through sustained career awareness campaigns in secondary schools; encourage specialization in critical fields where there is a shortage of experts, particularly occupational and environmental health; and establish financial support mechanisms to enable Ogoni doctors in private practice acquire modern medical equipment and compete effectively with their counterparts nationally and internationally.
The doctors also emphasized the importance of collaboration between healthcare professionals, community leaders and development institutions in addressing the unique health challenges facing Ogoniland.
Maol further called on the medical practitioners to remain united, support one another professionally and leverage their collective expertise for the advancement of the Ogoni people.
He assured them that KAGOTE would continue to engage professionals across various sectors as part of its broader vision of harnessing indigenous talent to drive sustainable development in Ogoniland.
