Chijioke Iremeka Some stakeholders in the health sector say the approved National Policy on Health Workforce Migration by President Bola Tinubu will reduce the continued exodus of Nigerian health workers abroad popularly known as the japa syndrome. The doctors described the new policy as a positive step towards rebuilding Nigeria’s healthcare system and improving its health indices if effectively implemented. Tinubu, on Monday, approved the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration to address the continued exodus of Nigerian health workers abroad.
The policy, announced by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, on his X handle on Tuesday, aims to woo an estimated 12,400 Nigerian-trained doctors practising abroad. Pate said the policy signed by the President was more than just a response to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals but a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health workers’ migration. Reacting to the policy in separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the stakeholders expressed optimism that the new policy could mitigate the adverse effects of the japa syndrome, which they said had significantly impacted hospital services across the country.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Abia State chapter, Dr. Isaiah Abali, said that the policy could discourage japa syndrome among health workers. Abali commended the President’s commitment to enhancing the country’s health sector, noting.