Dr. Adebayo Aderiye, the Chairman, Lagos State Health Service Commission, on Wednesday, urged health practitioners to show good professional conduct while participating in the medical electoral process.

Aderiye gave the advice on Wednesday during the visit of an eight-man delegate of the newly inaugurated executives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos chapter.

He expressed concern over practices that were inimical to medical conduct as being manifested during some of the professional elections.

“Lagos State has the largest medical workforce nationwide, hence, I must commend the peaceful outcome experienced during the electoral procession that ushered in your administration.

“Compared with reports from other states, yours was devoid of disrepute, even, as you all adhered strictly to medical ethics.

“I, therefore, implore you to, at all times, foster professionalism, because people are watching your conduct.

“Remember, you were elected individually, and must, therefore, work together as a team to ensure a peaceful tenure, bereft of the strike, as such vice, affects commitments, even to the healthcare providers,” Aderiye said.

According to him, collective inputs of both old and new doctors are paramount at ensuring an extensive and all-inclusive prospect in the profession.

Also, Dr. Benjamin Eniayewun, the Permanent Secretary, urged the new NMA executives to embrace multi-dimensional tasks of good leadership, following their election into office.

Eniayewun said: “You must learn to put on many caps as leaders to ensure success and also brace up keenly to challenges.

“This calls for proactive efforts at incorporating both the old and new routines within the healthcare industry, to form a unique prospect that is devoid of strikes.

“Strikes crop agony in the healthcare industry, and do remember that the best practice at productivity calls for change strategy as intellectuals.

“We cannot afford to bring more pains to the people we render qualitative healthcare servitude to.

“We should bear in mind that once life is lost during the strike, it can never be regained and the masses that cannot afford alternative healthcare, bear the whole brunt.”

Commenting, Dr. Adenekan Adetunji, the new NMA Chairman, Lagos Chapter, attributed the hitch-free electoral process to the e-voting process, which was also supported by the commission.

Adetunji said that the process was well coordinated in spite of the ravaging pandemic and its effects at the time.

“This familiarisation visit is to steer the ship of solidarity among the workforce through commendable leadership patterns.

“We call for factors to maintain order, the regularisation of members’ career progression, the residency of medical officers, even as we advocate for General Hospitals at each of the 57 Local Government and LCDAs in Lagos.

“These are targeted at catering for expanding medical demands of the public, and we must at this point, applaud you for your open door policy at ensuring a progressive accord in recent times,” he said.

The chairman also promised to rid the profession of mediocrity and medical quackery.

“There will certainly be mentoring for excellence, which we solicit for at this time, as a form of co-inhibition to fully eradicate medical quackery often tainted by political will.

“The commission is needed most at this time, to achieve a wholesome tenure under this new NMA administration,” he said.