Janet Ogundepo The President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Professor Bala Audu has lauded President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration, describing it as a step in the right direction. He noted that the policy was aimed at improving training, giving incentives that would improve retention and ensuring fair contributions from foreign entities benefiting from the country’s healthcare resources. The NMA president asserted that the association would make further recommendations to the government where improvements were needed and highlight areas of concern.
Audu further emphasised the importance of effective implementation of the policies to ensure the desired outcomes were achieved. President Bola Tinubu, last week, approved the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration to curb the japa syndrome, adversely affecting the healthcare services in hospitals across the nation. https://healthwise.
punchng.com/tinubu-approves-policy-on-health-workforce-migration-to-end-japa/ The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, who disclosed this on his X handle, formerly Twitter, said that the policy was more than a mere response to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals but a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health workers migration. He further noted that policy, subsumed under the Nigeria Human Health Resource Programme, would ensure healthcare practitioners, especially those in rural and underserved areas, received the recognition and rewards they deserve.
Pate added, “By fostering an environment conducive to professional growth and stability, the policy aims to retain top talent within Nigeria. “In an increasingly digital world, integrating advanced health technologies is essential. The policy’s focus on digital health infrastructure—including Electronic Medical Records, telehealth, and a comprehensive Health Workforce Registry—marks a significant step towards a more efficient, data-driven health system.
These innovations will streamline healthcare delivery and enhance the equitable distribution of health workers, ensuring access to quality care for all Nigerians. “Capacity building is at the heart of this policy. It recognises the importance of continuous professional development, with strategic partnerships and opportunities for international training to equip our healthcare professionals with cutting-edge skills.
This investment in human capital underscores our commitment to retaining and empowering our healthcare workforce.” Every month, a sizeable number of healthcare workers leave the country for greener pastures due to inadequate equipment, worsening insecurity, poor working conditions and poor salary structure. Last week, Tinubu inaugurated a healthcare expansion programme, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, through which 120,000 frontline health workers would be retrained.
The initiative would also establish ten oncology and diagnostic facilities, to improve Nigerians’ health and social well-being, drive economic development and position Nigeria as a healthcare hub within Africa. In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwsie, the NMA president said, “As a matter of general principle, this is a policy in the right direction. The effectiveness in achieving what it is intended to achieve will depend on the extent to which it is implemented, so the rate-limiting step will be the implementation.
We (NMA) have closely studied the documents and we are going to make recommendations to the government if there are areas it has omitted so that it can improve on those areas. Also, if there are areas that we feel may not impact positively we’ll point that out to the government. “We believe that the ensuing discussion between us and the government will hopefully yield positive results that the policy is aimed at achieving.
” Addressing the recent kidnappings of about 20 medical students from the University of Jos, Plateau State and University of Maiduguri, including the unresolved case of a resident doctor, Ganiyat Popoola, abducted in Kaduna over eight months ago, the NMA president affirmed that the association was working with the necessary security agencies in charge of the matter. “The security problem of this country is not peculiar to the health sector, it’s a general and overall problem and we are working closely with the necessary security agencies who are handling this matter,” Audu said. Copyright PUNCH All rights reserved.
This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected] Tags #Japa syndrome NMA NMA backs health migration policy NMA President Bala Audu Tinubu approves policy on health workforce migration.
