By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kogi State chapter, has warned that neglecting doctors’ welfare threatens patients’ lives, urging the Federal and state governments to improve remuneration, provide safer workplaces and address burnout among medical practitioners.
The state chairman, Dr Mary Onyeche Obari, gave the warning during activities marking the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria.”
Obari said doctors routinely work under intense pressure, handle emergencies and make critical medical decisions, often at the expense of their physical and mental health.
She warned that such sacrifices should not be mistaken for professional commitment when doctors lack adequate rest, staffing and workplace support.
“Burnout should not be mistaken for dedication. Working without adequate rest should not be celebrated as a measure of commitment. A physician’s suffering should not have to become a tragedy before it receives attention,” she said.
The NMA chairman called for adequate staffing, reasonable duty schedules, protected rest periods, prompt payment of salaries and outstanding entitlements, confidential mental-health support and protection against workplace violence.
She stressed that doctors’ welfare was not a privilege but an investment in an effective healthcare system, arguing that physicians must be protected if they are to provide quality care to patients.
Obari also urged the Kogi State Government to invest in digital healthcare, including artificial intelligence, telemedicine and electronic medical records, to improve clinical decisions, strengthen referrals and extend specialist services to underserved communities.
However, she said such innovations would deliver meaningful results only if supported by reliable infrastructure, secure health information systems and continuous professional training.
While acknowledging the potential of artificial intelligence to support medical practice, she insisted that technology must not replace human judgment, empathy, accountability and professional ethics.
Obari urged governments, hospital administrators and other healthcare stakeholders to work with the NMA to improve doctors’ remuneration, provide functional medical equipment and modernise healthcare infrastructure.
She also called for greater involvement of medical practitioners in decisions affecting their working conditions and patient care.
The chairman warned that Physicians’ Week must go beyond speeches and celebrations, insisting that governments should translate their commitments into tangible improvements in doctors’ welfare and professional development.
She commended Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, for what she described as their achievements in the state’s health sector.
Obari reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting efforts to improve healthcare delivery and expand residents’ access to quality medical services.