- Kwara State Governor approves replacement of medical personnel who left for better opportunities abroad to bridge gaps in healthcare
- The state is recruiting doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to address shortages and ensure quality patient care in public hospitals
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governor of Kwara State, has approved the replacement of medical doctors, nurses, and other health personnel who left the state service in search of greener pastures abroad.
Dr. AbdulRaheem Malik, executive secretary of the Kwara State Hospital Management Board, disclosed this on Wednesday in Ilorin while speaking at the 38th edition of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The theme of the legislature was “Managing Brain Drain and Other Health Sector Challenges: Kwara State Government Approach.”
A pharmacist, Malik stated that the governor’s approval was intended to bridge the gap that might arise due to the exodus of medical doctors and other related personnel from the nation’s health centres in search of better pay abroad.
He revealed that the state government was recruiting medical personnel to fill existing vacancies and ensure that more doctors were available to care for patients in public hospitals.
His Excellency has approved for us to replace one of 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 of 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.
According to the executive secretary of the Hospital Management Board, who blamed the exodus of medical doctors from the country on economic factors, many health personnel who relocated to other countries did so because of attractive pay.
On the other hand, Malik expressed delight that the Governor AbdulRazaq administration has implemented measures to discourage medical doctors and other health personnel from leaving public health facilities by implementing CONMESS for them.
He said that the state government has regularly sponsored training for nurses to help them grow personally and professionally.
Earlier, Abdullateef Ahmed, the state chairman of the NUJ, had expressed concern about recent reports that about half of the nation’s medical personnel, particularly doctors, had relocated or were currently residing in some developed countries, which portended danger for the nation’s health sector.