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Japa: Doctors Proffer Solutions At Tinubu Town Hall

Published

1 year ago

February 11, 2023

Editor

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

News

Shettima Launches NEDC’s School Enrollment Drive Programme

Published

6 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Vice President Kashim Shettima has launched the Accelerated Senior Secondary School Education Programme (ASSEP) initiated by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) in collaboration with the office of the VP to enhance child enrollment drive in schools within the North-East sub-region.

Speaking during the launching of the programme in Bauchi on Saturday, the VP said that consequences of the nation’s action and inaction were evident in all indices used to assess development.

He said while primary education provides a foundation, secondary education is a bridge, adding that the Northeast sub-region has been the victim of inability to enforce a uniform policy to drive school and the persistent cultural perversion to formal education in the country.

“We in the Northeast occupy a quantum of position in ranking of essential services. Education being a key sector of this country, this is especially pronounced in the post primary education, while the Northeast secondary school enrollment drive stands at 19 percent, far below the nation’s 39 percent,” he said.

Earlier, the Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, said that the primary education completion level of 85 per cent in the Northeast is among the best in Nigeria, but secondary school enrolment is a mere 15 per cent, the second worst nationally.

According to him, due to the challenges in the post-primary education segment, JAMB UTME applications and admissions into tertiary institutions in 2019 were the lowest for the Northeast compared to other regions.

He added that, nationally, the Northeast has the lowest number of teachers and the highest percentage 55 per cent of those available are without literacy skills.

The MD also revealed that the challenges in the post-primary education segment include weak quality indices and a wide demand-supply gap driven by economic and cultural factors.

“The Accelerated Senior Secondary Education Programme seeks to boost the post primary education rating across the North East region through improved enrolment into tertiary institutions.

“It’s also to improve skills development as well as the elevation of teacher quality. It would pay special focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and communication.

“These would foster creativity and critical thinking; motivates and inspires young people to generate new technologies and ideas to learn from inquiry-based tasks,” he said.

Alkali also explained that the programme would also raise awareness about after-school possibilities and the potential for diligent students to become successful and prominent contributors to the North East region and Nigeria at large.

He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government especially, the Vice President for the deep interest and commitment to human development in the North-East.

News

Edo Police Break Silence On Operatives Fighting Dirty In Viral Video

Published

7 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

The Edo State Police Command says a trending video showing two operatives of the command engaging in a fight is a handiwork of mischief makers.

In the video which has gone viral on the internet, two policemen are seen fighting themselves, while a voice commentary in the background claims they are from the Igueben Decisional Police Station headquarters in the state.

A writeup also attached to a version of the video sighted by Info Daily also claims that the policemen were fighting because of sharing formula of money collected from motorists on the highway. The writeup also claims that the incident happened yesterday, May 17th, 2024.

But reacting to the viral video in a statement issued by SP Chidi Nwabuzor, Police Public Relations Officer, the command said contrary to the claim, the incident happened in 2020, adding that disciplinary measures were taken against the erring policemen.

The statement which issued electronically to newsmen in Benin on Saturday evening partly reads: “Edo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that it’s aware of a video trending on the internet showing two policemen that engaged themselves in a fight in public spaces and wishes to state as follows that;

“The now trending video happened in April 2020 in a community called Ebelle in the Igueben local government area of Edo State.

“The two erring policemen, namely; (i) F/NO.491112 CPL Ozimeade Aidonojie and (ii) F/NO. 516384 PC Salubi Stephen were attached to Ebelle Police Divisional Headquarters.

“They defaulted, tried in an orderly and upon conviction dismissed from the Force for the offence of discreditable conduct contrary to Paragraph ‘E’ Sub Section 111 of the Police Act and Regulations 370 Cap. P19 of Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

Nwabuzor in the statement reiterated the state Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, commitment to “making Edo State a desired secured state where the law abiding citizens and the general public go about their lawful businesses in making Edo State economic hubs of Nigeria without fear or intimidation.”

News

Excitement, Dance As ‘Looted Ancestral Stools’ Return To Oba Of Benin

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

It was a moment of joy, excitement and dance at the palace of the Oba of Benin as the revered monarch, Oba Ewuare II took custody of two looted royal stools from the German government.

They were handed over to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, NCMM on behalf of the Nigerian government by the German authorities in 2022.

The Director-General of
National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr Olugbile Holloway made the presentation on behalf of the Federal Government on Saturday May18, 2024 in Oba of Benin Palace, Benin City.

According to history, the artefacts — Bronze and wooden Royal stools (Ekete), made during the reign of Oba Eresoyen and Oba Esigie several Centuries ago, were looted from Oba Palace during the punitive expedition in 1897.

Addressing the Benin Throne during the presentation of the artefacts, Mr Holloway, pledged on behalf of NCMM, to work-hand-in hand with the Benin Royal Court in uplifting and displaying Edo heritage.

He revealed that as the Benin Bronzes and other art works are gradually making their way home (Nigeria), “NCMM will join hands with the Royal Court to create a befitting destination for people around the world to come and appreciate these works”.

“What you see before us were originally taken away from the Royal family in 1897.

“We have a stool made of Bronze and a wooden stool.

“I speak for every member of my team, to say that we remain loyal to the Royal Court. And if there is anything we can do, we will do to support this laudable initiative.

“This heritage is not just Benin heritage, but Nigeria’s heritage.
When we speak of Benin heritage, there is nobody that doesn’t know the great works of ours.

“I appreciate you, we will always do what we can do with our powers to make His Royal Majesty lineage in memory”, he said.

After unveiling the repatriated Artefacts, Oba of Benin, who danced joyfully to Benin traditional rendition in dramatic dance steps, with excited Chiefs and members of the Royal family, offered prayers to Almighty God and his ancestors.

The traditional ruler, who was visibly overwhelmed with joy, appreciated the German government and the Federal Government and the NCMM leadership for their efforts.

The royal father, thereafter, in a historic move, sat in one of the royal stools (Ekete), and personally presented a chunk of white, which, according to belief, symbolizes peace and blessings to the Director-General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr Olugbile Holloway.

Oba Ewuare II also prayed for Mr Holloway and his team, accompanied by the Curator, National Museum, Benin, Mr Mark Olaitan, Director, Legal Services, NCMM, Barrister Babatunde Adebiyi on the visit where Royal Drummers gave a good account of their stewardship.