Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has decried the increasing wave of exodus of Nigerian medical personnel for greener pastures.
According to reports, many health workers of the state-owned university teaching hospital are among Nigerian health workers leaving the country in droves in search of a better working condition.
Mbah made the observation when the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, visited him at the Government House, Enugu, on Thursday.
According to him, “It is really a challenge: this japa syndrome. I don’t think there is anywhere, any sector that has suffered the most as the medical sector in terms of the migration syndrome.
“So, I am glad that the federal government is rising to the occasion. They are taking steps to ensure that we raise more medical professionals.
“One way to go is working assiduously in the area of technology, looking at telemedicine and how we will be able to get the data we are gathering, so that we can have health reports, the electronic health reports of patients.”
He said the implementation of the Universal Health Insurance Scheme was in progress in the state.
In his words, “Even before the enactment of the National Health Insurance Act, we already had our own state health insurance law. We started the implementation of Universal Healthcare Coverage, and that is still in progress. Our aim is to ensure that everybody here in Enugu has access to quality healthcare.”
The minister, in response, said the Tinubu administration was addressing the challenges of migration by health workers with the right academic environment and better welfare package.
According to him, “Whatever you think we can do for you as a state at the national level, it’s also part of out agenda; better collaboration, better coordination of resources.”
