By Ozioruva Aliu, BENIN CITY

MEDICAL practitioners have called on the government at all levels to create a good working condition for doctors, security and better training for enhanced medical practice in Nigeria.

This position was made at an event to mark the World Family Doctor Day with the theme ‘Compassionate Care in a Digital World’ which was put together by the Department of Family Medicine, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

Speaking at the event as the keynote speaker, Consultant Family Physician and Head of Department Family Medicine Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Irua, Dr. Chidozie Affusi identified technology in the medical practice as an asset in today’s world and called for a complementary application of human feelings and technology to strike a balance.

He said, “Digitalization is a plus because it has made the work much easier but the problem is that human compassion is disappearing and that is what our specialty is out to bring back. Even with the use of technology, the incorporation of respect, dignity, emotions and human compassion gives a patient a sense of belonging because all of these are natural therapies in themselves that enhance healing.”

Chairman of the event and Managing Director of Eco Hospital, Benin, Dr. Obaze Matie appealed to the government to create a security friendly environment for not just family doctors but the general practitioners to enable them to contribute to the growth of Nigeria instead of the mass exit being suffered today.

To achieve this, he said “the government must support the training of more family physicians in the country and provide factors to retain them in the country which is the greatest challenge across the labour market in the country now. Most importantly, the government must ensure their safety because insecurity is one of the drivers of the mass exodus.”

On his part, the Head of Department of Family Medicine (UBTH), Dr. Osaze Obazee highlighted the importance of the Day which he said is set aside to celebrate specialist practitioners in Family Medicine as well as sensitize the public on key issues in the practice.

He said the theme of the celebration was important considering Artificial Intelligence is gradually replacing the relevance of the human feelings in diagnosis.

Obazee recommended that the services of family doctors should be embraced by Nigerians because beyond being a physician, the family doctor overtime becomes a family member.