The Association of Medical Social Workers of Nigerian, (AMSWON) has called on governments at the Federal, State and Local levels to involve more Medical Social Workers in the management of tertiary, secondary and primary health centers across the country, noting that it’s as an antidote to the array of psycho-social problems confronting many Nigerians.

File Photo: Gbagada General Hospital,

According to AMSWON, involving more medical social workers in hospitals will help to reduce the rising cases of psycho-social problems such as divorce, poverty, malnutrition, juvenile delinquency, rape, examination malpractices, cultism, violence and prostitution among others.

AMSWON National President, Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan Bichi who made this call in his acceptance speech shortly after he emerged as the National President of the association at its Annual General Meeting, in Bauchi declared that most of these problems don’t require medication but professional advice of trained and certified Medical Social Workers.

Bichi who pointed out that one of the requirements of an ideal hospital whether tertiary, secondary or primary is the availability of medical social workers, however, decried the shortage of these professionals who will be willing to provide psycho-social succour to patients.

Speaking further, Bichi who said one of the factors responsible for the mass failure, examination malpractices and cultism in Nigerian schools from primary to tertiary level is the misplacement of priorities by the governments, parents, teachers and students, pointed that it’s as a result of absence of social workers who can help to discover students’ potentials and guide them based on their uniqueness.

Meanwhile, other elected officers of the association includes; Thomas Ibe; National Vice President, Ogedengbe Kayode; National Secretary General, Arinze Nwakwo; National Public Relations Officer, Chinyere Robinson; National Financial Secretary, Barbara Bwownson; National Welfare Officer, Olaonipekun Lanre; National Auditor, Adeyemi Fatai; National Assistant Secretary General and Adegbola Gbeminiyi; National Editorial Secretary.

The communique issued by Chairman and Secretary of its drafting committee, Olatunde Victor and Abdul Mohammed after the conference reads as follows:

“The conference agreed that professional social workers should be employed in our hospitals in order to put the square peg in a square hole.

“Social Workers must be part of Medical team if they are going on ward round for social diagnosis of patient’s illness.

“The association viewed strongly that social workers should be on Call/ Shift duty for effective coverage of the hospital.

“It was also resolved that hospital managements should ensure that proper records and statistics of all social work interventions are kept and made available to relevant organizations and agencies.

“The conference agreed that hospital managements should endeavor to sponsor social workers to attend professional and scientific conferences in order to keep abreast with the current trends in Social Work practice.

“The federal ministry of health and federal ministry of Women and Social Development should lobby the National Assembly to pass the standing bills on Social Work currently in the House of Representatives, National Assembly, Abuja.

“It was resolved that hospital managements should set aside certain percentage of profits made from the various resolving funds in the hospital for the management of the indigent patients.

“The conference agreed that hospital managements should ensure the presence of social workers in the management of all internally displaced persons (IDPs), brought to their hospitals in order to professionally handle the social needs of such victims.

” The hospital managements should create a forum through which the various professionals will interact and discuss the basic role each is expected to play in the holistic management of patients.

“In conclusion, we look forward to the implementation of the above salient points, so that medical social work activities could be given it well deserved seat in the scheme of things in patient’s management and care in Nigerians hospitals.