BY EZEKIEL DONTINNA
Chairmanship aspirant in the forthcoming election of the Plateau State Chapter of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Yilji Cashmire Kumtap, has assured members of his resolve to create a purposeful inclusiveness and improved welfare through human capacity development when elected.
He gave the assurance Thursday, while in an exclusive interview with our correspondent ahead of the Plateau State chapter elections of the NMA holding July 26, 2024 in Jos, the State capital.
The Aspirant who is a Consultant Cardiologist and the Head of Acute Medicine Unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), said, “over the years, NMA has created reasonable impact in the society and I have decided to throw in towel to contest for Chairmanship of Plateau State in the struggle.
“This is because, I feel that there is a couple of things that I can add to the progress of NMA. I believe NMA is an edifice and if I add one or two blocks to this edifice, it will go a little bit higher up to the line of progress on the society.
“My agenda and policy thrust for the association is essentially on five points: I trust largely on the welfare of the members. I want to increase human capacity development and increase the visibility of NMA as a critical stakeholders in the society”, he promised.
According to Kumtap, “I believe that in every association, there could be element of factionalism and I intend to unify and bring inclusiveness in the association. That is main issue that informed the mantra of my campaign which is inclusiveness”.
He observed that the leadership of NMA had started the construction of a befitting Secretariat for NMA which was ongoing and promised to complete the edifice when given the mandate to help complement the efforts of the past leadership because it was dear to his heart.
“NMA, to my mind is the contemporary of the NUJ and I feel we should have a befitting Secretariat. It is a commitment that I am making to the medical doctors on the Plateau that, during my tenure, we would to a larger extend be able to get a benefiting secretariat for the NMA”, the Chairmanship aspirant assured.
He, however, commended the efforts of current leaders for fighting quackery over the years, which resulted in the arrest of a number of people who paraded themselves as doctors and promised to take up what they have started to help sanitised the system because it was a large space for other disciplines in the medical line to jump in.
Reacting to the public perception of patronising the traditional medicine by most people, Dr. Yilji Cashmire Kumtap, said, “periodic advocacy remains the sure way to be able to get the buying of the people.
“So, when elected, I will be giving periodic policy advise to government because one of the reasons why people easily delved into traditional options here is cost, because the cost rising care of the limited factor is cost, hence the need for people to be insured so that, people can walk into the healthcares facilities and obtain quality health services, then, it will encourage people to key in.
“My decision is for members to choose the politics of hope, confidence and ability to deliver effectively and efficiently and in a best way. My call to my members is for them to ex-ray the candidate dispassionately beyond friend, but who will deliver because the time is now to make the medical profession better and Nigeria will be good”, enthused.
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