Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, a medical expert, surgeon and consultant, on Thursday urged medical practitioners across the country to continually embrace compassion, competence and conscience in the discharge of their duties to humanity.
Oloriegbe, who is the Chairman of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), gave the admonition in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while delivering the keynote address at the 27th National Conference of the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN), held at the University of Ilorin Auditorium.
He spoke on the theme, “Compassion, Competence and Conscience: Integrating Islamic Values in Nigerian Medical Practice.”
Oloriegbe said that, to uphold the principles of righteousness in medical practice, healthcare professionals must continually update their knowledge, treat patients with compassion and remain conscious of Allah’s guidance in the delivery of healthcare services.
He urged medical practitioners not to allow challenges within the country’s healthcare system, including inadequate funding, poor hospital facilities and other constraints, to undermine their commitment to patients.
According to him, healthcare professionals must always be prepared to attend to patients regardless of their financial circumstances, stressing that saving a life should take precedence over monetary considerations.
“I urge participants to remain resolute. As medical practitioners, we must ensure that we attend diligently to patients, from interrogation and testing to assessment and prescription of drugs, and treatment in order to save lives.
“Saving one life is worth more than money. Whoever saves a patient’s life saves humanity. I urge you to bear in mind that one day, someone may approach you with nothing in his or her hands but fear in their eyes. Treat such a person with compassion, knowing that Allah will reward you,” he said.
Earlier, Adekunle Ibrahim, professor of pharmacology, who is the President of IMAN, highlighted the importance of the conference and the association’s role in promoting quality healthcare delivery.
He said Nigeria was at a critical point, facing evolving health challenges ranging from infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases to gaps in healthcare infrastructure.
“Our country faces evolving challenges, ranging from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases and health infrastructural gaps. Yet, in every challenge lies an opportunity for leadership, innovation and principled action.
“IMAN has always been guided by the Qur’an, which encourages us to uphold the sanctity of life and serve humanity with excellence. This conference is a testament to that direction. Our mission, vision and strategic objectives remain the same,” he said.
Ibrahim said the association had, over the past six years, aggressively pursued key objectives, including advocating for Ibadah-friendly healthcare services, promoting capacity building, mentoring and research to improve healthcare quality, as well as building partnerships and ensuring financial sustainability.
He said the initiatives had brought significant successes to the association.
In his welcome address, Lukman Abdulrahman, a Professor and the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), described IMAN as the umbrella body for Muslim healthcare professionals in Nigeria.
He said the association’s major objective was to bring Muslim healthcare professionals together to uphold the demands of their faith while promoting the sanctity of human life and appropriate Islamic practices in healthcare delivery.
“The main motive of the organisation is bringing all of us together to ensure that we are conscious of the demands of our religion and considering life to be sacred and appropriately administering Ibadah-friendly hospital practices,” he said.
Abdulrahman disclosed that the association had conducted a medical outreach for more than 2,000 patients across Kwara State.
He said the outreach covered medical consultations, eye care and cataract surgery, cervical cancer screening, family planning, laboratory investigations and other specialist services.
According to him, preliminary screening had been conducted across the three senatorial districts of Kwara through cottage and general hospitals, with nearly 100 surgical cases identified for treatment.
He said the organisers were determined to provide comprehensive care to beneficiaries at the point of first contact while referring patients requiring further treatment to appropriate healthcare facilities close to their communities.
Also, the Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, represented at the event by Amina El-Imam, Commissioner for Health, Amina El-Imam, declared the conference open and commended IMAN for its humanitarian initiatives and contribution to healthcare delivery in the state.
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