A number of medical professionals have tabled viable solutions for the next administration to use as a workable strategy to resolve the perennial problem of brain drain plaguing the health sector.
The brain drain phenomenon, which was rechristened as ‘Japa’, has seen a generation of young health workers, tech entrepreneurs and a number of professionals dumped Nigeria as a result of insecurity, corruption, failed leadership and several other factors.
Speaking at a medical town hall meeting on BAT Health Agenda in Abuja on Saturday, a medical doctor and serving lawmaker representing Ogun Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Dr. Lanre Tejuosho, explained that ‘Japa’ is a problem any serious government can tackle.
While stating that he is happy that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has indicated tackling ‘brain drain’ as one of his priorities in his ‘Renewed Hope’ manifesto, he said the problem can be resolved if the right policies and initiatives are implemented.
Tejuosho, who is also the pro-chancellor of University of Lagos, told our reporter that if the president and the health minister are willing to tinker with the idea of allowing doctors to be self employed, it will go a long way in tackling brain drain.
According to him, having the feel of ownership of over 30,000 Primary Health Centres and knowing that they are in charge of drugs procurement, provision of water and power would give doctors, nurses and other health workers a sense of belonging.
“We should try to think in the direction of making all our health professionals self-employed. When I say self employment, I am talking about taking advantage of the over 30,000 Primary Health Centres in Nigeria today.
“Let’s say, as you graduate as a medical doctor or as a senior nurse, you are put in charge of that particular health centre. We will allocate to that centre about 10,000 Nigerians that are already insured in terms of health insurance.
“That means the money to run the place is guaranteed because the monthly allocation from National Health Insurance Scheme of the 10,000 patients attached to that centre will be able to pay the salaries of the staff including the nurses and the doctors.
“With that, they should be able to also maintain the drugs, water, electricity and basic needs of those centres. I am aware that the NHIS pays around N750 per patient every month.
“If we sum this figure up with 10,000 patients, it should give each centre about N7.5m per month. Let it be given to these doctors and nurses to run.
“Of course, we know not all the 10,000 patients will come to the centre every month. But you will always have money to run PHC,” he said.
When reminded that the plan looks good only on paper, the UNILAG Pro-Chancellor agreed that implementation of the initiative is paramount.
Tejuosho claimed that as Chairman of Senate Committee on Health, it was one of those ideas he has been pushing for the attention of the Federal Government and health ministry.
He said, “That is why I am telling you that the implementation is key. It is part of what we are here to talk about. It is part of what Asiwaju as president must pursue with the implementation of that Health Insurance Act. This is my idea that I will be proposing to him. It is not in the Act or any law.
“As Chairman of Senate Committee on Health, I have been saying this for a long time. We will also make sure that there is enough money in the basket. It’s now a matter of making it practical.
“We have the infrastructure, give it to the medical doctors. Our doctors abroad will come back because they won’t be making that kind of money in London or other part of the world.
“All we need to set up is a monitoring committee that will ensure that we monitor what these doctors are doing. Anyone that doesn’t perform, we will take it from them and give to another person.
“In no time, doctors from London and other places will be queuing to come and be self employed.
The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib, on his part said he has nothing against doctors, nurses and other health care sectors are leaving the country in droves.
He, however, encourage the incoming president to upgrade the health sector including a better pay package that would appear irresistible to even those who dumped the country for prospects abroad.
Shuaib also canvassed that the incoming administration should focus on special arrangements for doctors and health workers on annual leave abroad to return to the country to share their expertise and help in technology transfer.
“We need to stop the one-way traffic. There is nothing wrong with people wanting to seek greener pastures abroad.
“What we need to put in place measures that will make sure that they also give back to Nigeria where they are trained.
“In a lot of instances you find in countries with similar situations as ours, their professionals abroad actually remit a fixed amount of money back to their home countries.
“And this is something that is agreed with the host countries so that we always find people come in bringing resources.
“It should also be done in a way that is well organised. We don’t even have adequate doctors and nurses in the health care sector.
“It’s not about saying that people should not go. Focus should be also be on how to encourage them to come back, even if it is during their annual leave.
“They can come back and also give back to our health sector some of the advanced technologies, advanced capabilities that they’ve learnt,” he advised.
Appreciating the participants and speakers at the town hall, the APC PCC head of Medical Directorate, Dr. Ikechukwu Odikpo, noted that he observed many Nigerians are not particularly asking questions on what Tiinubu presidency has to offer.
According to the medical doctor, healthcare as presented in his principal’s manifesto covers critical areas such as human resources, brain drain, health tourism, infrastructure, universal health care and health financing.
“That is why today we have assembled the very best across Nigeria medicare to dialogue on how to better our health care sector and services.
“But we want Nigerians especially Medicare professionals and our youths to be part of our actions and decisions hence this town hall meeting.
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, strength cannot fight, intelligence cannot be applied, art cannot become manifest and wealth becomes useless.
“Let’s create a wealthy nation by putting our health care services in the right perspective,” he said
