President's Column

The next few years will be crucial in the development of MANSAG. We have therefore set some short term priorities. Having captured people’s expectations of MANSAG by a recent electronic survey, we must now ensure that the association maintains base with all its constituencies – specialists, GPs, trainees and undergraduate medical students of Nigerian origins. Many doctors outside the UK aspire to work or train here whilst many more in Nigeria could do with further specialist training in Nigeria by the many specialties represented within MANSAG. Informed by this wide notion of our areas of potential influence we will embark on a massive membership drive aimed at doubling our numbers in 12-24months. However we need to convince more people of the relevance of MANSAG to their professional and social dreams. We will encourage “grassroots” membership through more zonal chapters. Our laser beam has identified focal areas of high potential membership activity as follows: Newcastle, Trent and Humber, London, Plymouth, and Norfolk to name a few.

We will foster better communication with current and potential members, preceded by a systematic collection and archiving of contact and expertise data which is crucial to a wide range of other initiatives. We must upgrade our web resources and immediately set up a periodic newsletter to which I will personally contribute regularly. Our database records will enable us better appreciate the invaluable contribution of doctors of Nigerian origin to Health Care delivery in both UK and Nigeria. MANSAG is uniquely positioned to co-ordinate an inventory of “medical missions” projects in Nigeria, information which may enable us access several funding streams that may underpin our future programmes. We will prioritise forging links with other UK organisations of Nigerian doctors such as Medical School and Teaching Hospital alumni and various specialty groupings.

We will also forge improved links with other associations of “ethnic minority doctors” so we can contribute to the agenda of several UK government agencies such as the GMC, PMetB, National Patient Safety Agency, Royal Medical and Surgical Colleges etc as they relate to ethnic minority doctors and health. We will set up a high calibre Advisory and Judicial subcommittee to assist, in confidence, any Nigerian doctors who have professional difficulties. We plan to stipulate minimum content standards for all our CPD activities to ensure that our various constituency interests are represented, and ensure that trainee issues are more relevant to the way we do business. The current skew of MANSAG membership ages to the right of 40 years needs to be addressed as MANSAG should survive beyond current generations.

Finally we will work to partner with all genuinely willing and able Nigerian governments and agencies irrespective of political, geographic, ethnic or religious persuasions to deliver better health to Nigerians. To do this we must maintain and export back to Nigeria the high standards of medical and ethical professionalism which serves us all so well individually here in the UK. We cannot succeed without the help and contribution of every member of MANSAG. Firstly we should all individually recruit new members and assure them that MANSAG will be there for them. Secondly we should support MANSAG financially over and above our annual dues, including sacrifices in time and talent also. Thirdly we should each identify MANSAG activities to get involved with. We can each make a difference in a zone or committee or activity. Send us ideas by e-mails, phone calls etc. We can even disagree but without being disagreeable. The motto of our Unity Secondary Schools in Nigeria (of which I am a proud alumnus) is "pro unitate". Our unity can be demonstrated in our professional and social diversity even through the workings and activities of MANSAG. On behalf of the incoming executive I thank you all for reposing such confidence in us, and implore you to work with us to make MANSAG bigger and better.

 

Dr Dilly OC Anumba MBBS FWACS MRCOG MD LL.M(Medical Law)

MANSAG President

Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Subspecialist in Maternal and Fetal Medicine