Japa Syndrom: Gov. AbdulRazaq approves automatic replacement of doctors

Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, has given approval for the automatic replacement of medical doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who exit the state health facilities in search of greener pastures abroad.

Dr AbdulRaheem Malik, the Executive Secretary, of the State Hospital Management Board, disclosed this on Thursday in Ilorin, while featuring on the 38th edition of the Media Parliament of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

The parliament was themed: “Managing Brain Drain and Other Health Sector’s Challenges: Kwara State Government Approach”.

Malik, a renowned pharmacist, stated that the essence of the Governor’s approvals was to bridge the gap that might arise following the exodus of medical doctors and other related personnel in the nation’s health centres in pursuit of appreciable wage abroad.

The Executive Secretary of the Board noted that the state government is recruiting medical staff to fill the existing vacancies so as to ensure that more doctors and others are available to attend to patients in public hospitals.

“The Governor has approved for us to replace one on one. So, if a doctor resigns or leaves today, we have the automatic approval of the Governor to replace that person.

“There is a one on one replacement already in place. And we are currently recruiting doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

“So, the periodic recruitment is already ongoing. It is not even periodic. It is like when somebody leaves, you replace so we can close the gap as often as possible,” Malik said.

He attributed the exodus of medical doctors from the country to economic factor and demand for increase in wage, saying that many of them who relocated to developed countries did so as a result of attractive pay.

Malik, however, noted that the Governor deployed measures to discourage movement of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other related personnel out of the public health facilities with the implementation of CONMESS for them.

He added that the state government has regularly sponsored training for nurses for personal development and to make them effective in their profession.

In his remarks, the State Chairman of the NUJ, Abdullateef Ahmed, said the recent reports that about half of the nation’s medical personnel, especially medical doctors, either relocated to different parts of developed countries portends danger for the nation’s health sector.

He explained that a healthy living among residents can only be guaranteed when patients easily access medical personnel in the hospitals, particularly the public-owned ones, for attention and treatment.

Ahmed therefore challenged the state government to recruit swiftly medical personnel in large numbers in its health facilities.

He added that this will bridge the gap of acute shortage of medical personnel and for proper attention to members of the public, who patronise government-owned hospitals the most.