Medical Director Seeks Extension Of 60yrs Retirement Age For Consultants

The gap created by the retirement of consultants in critical areas of medicine in most Federal Medical Centres in Nigeria has been described as part of challenges that have given rise to increase in medical trips abroad.

Briefing reporters in Umuahia on Monday, the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia, Chukwu Abali Chukwu, advised relevant authorities to reconsider the 60 years retirement age for consultants.

He wants it extended to 70 years to be at par with those of their counterpart in the teaching hospitals.

The Medical Director, who highlighted some of the consequences the age limit posed on health care delivery services, also lamented that the country would be losing a lot if nothing was done to fix the gap created by the retired consultants.

One of the major need of every Nigerian is to get accessible health care delivery services but how often is this quest met is better imagined.

At the Federal Medical Centre, there seem to be adequate medical facilities in place but lack of manpower, especially nurses, has left some of the wards vacant.

Some of the nurses after successive training abroad have been moved to man the critical areas that include intensive care unit, the In Vitro Fertilisation Centre amongst others.

With the expectation of the commencement of kidney transplant in the Medical Centre Umuahia, in September this year, the Chief Medical Director hinted that the hospital had concluded the collaboration with the University of Toledo, Ohio on the area of Renal Transplantation.

However, he hinted that there was the need for the government to ensure that consultants, who spent years in training in some of the critical areas of medicine, contribute their expertise in health sector.

Mr Chukwu believes the 10 years extension would give the consultants time to train others before retiring.

There is no doubt that the country can offer all the medical services if all the other factors that include medical expertise, adequate training of health personnel, drive for excellence amongst many others are put in place.