The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Saturday, said that the Federal Government had directed that health workers going abroad to seek greener pastures must henceforth resign their appointments before embarking on such journeys.

Alausa said the era of health workers exiting to other countries in search of better offers after applying for a leave of absence is no longer acceptable.

The minister said that the ban on the leave of absence for health workers emanated from the executive order issued by President Bola Tinubu as part of drastic steps to combat the challenge of brain drain fondly called ‘Japa Syndrome’ confronting the nation’s health sector.

This is just as Alausa also revealed that the FG has commenced the production of manpower in the health sector such that the annual enrolment of nurses which used to be 28,000 is now 68,000 and that by the end of this year, it would have gone up to 120,000.

The minister stated this on Saturday during his visit to the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He said that the President considered the biggest asset of the country to be the people and has not only vowed but has taken proactive actions to ensure the health sector is in good shape so that the health of the citizens won’t suffer.

Speaking on the challenge of manpower shortages across the FG-owned health institutions, Alausa said, “The government is not unmindful of the Japa effect on our manpower in the health sector and the President has ordered for massive production of manpower such that when people go, there will always be replacement.

“It is against this background that we are working intensely on the enrolment of our nurses. What used to be 28,000 is now 68,000 and our intention is to take it to 120,000 by the end of the year, so there will always be abundant skilled manpower to take over from those leaving the job.


“We have equally doubled our enrolment for doctors, dentistry, pharmacists among others

“Again, we didn’t say anyone who wants to move or japa to the UK or Australia to take up appointments there should not go, it is a free world.”

The minister continued, “However, you cannot eat your cake and have it. If you are going, just resign your appointments with the Federal Government, rather than applying for leave of absence, that is the Presidential executive order that has been communicated to all the Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government-owned health facilities to implement.

“The problem with the leave of absence is that such a fellow is out there in the UK or Australia working, making money but his name still appears on the payment roll of the government and so to replace him is difficult because he is still being considered as a staff whereas he has left the country.

“So, to solve this problem, the President has directed that health workers going abroad to work should just resign their appointments and not apply for leave of absence. This way, you won’t be blocking others who want to work and of course piling burdens for your colleagues that you left behind.”

Responding to some of the demands of the hospital such as increased funding, infrastructural development, among other welfare packages, Alausa said that the ministry would leave no stone unturned to do all that is necessary to improve the fortunes of the health sector in the country.

Speaking earlier, the Provost and Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Paul Agboola, lauded the Minister for his selflessness and passion to turn things around for good in the health sector.

The CMD said that as a result of the approval given by the Minister, his administration had started projects such as the Institute of Psychiatric for the hospital which had been in the pipeline for about 40 years, amongst others.

alwayzonlyn:
Will this really solve the japa syndrome??

They'll simply resign & leave the system!!!

FreeStuffsNG:
They were already physically out of the system but their names remain on the register. That's the problem and corruption.

There's no point keeping the slot on the register when people who need the jobs are not absorbed to fill the slot and help reduce the workload on those who stayed back in service of the nation.

When you come back, there's no law that forbids you from reapplying to take back the job.

alwayzonlyn:


What exactly is pushing them out of the system?

Has the government bothered to find out and most importantly, address the factors head on??

FreeStuffsNG:
What's making them leave yet have their names still on the register? It seems it makes sense to you even after the explanation by the Minister of state that you are free to leave and even come back if you like but just don't keep your name on the list so that others who are willing and ready to stay back and work can take the slot.

alwayzonlyn:


What exactly is pushing them out of the system?

Has the government bothered to find out and most importantly, address the factors head on??

Sangoamadioha1:





This report is not about that. They are trying to address ghost workers in the system so as to create space for the more people.
What you are saying up there is a topic for another day and definitely not on the subject of this thread.

alwayzonlyn:


Lol

Like the government, you're also shying away from the ROOT CAUSE that make majority of these workers even apply for the leave of absence in the first place. You & I know that in over 80% of cases, the reason is to seek for greener pasture elsewhere. In essence, if the system is well funded & conducive enough for these workers to stay back in, there wouldn't be any need for majority of the people leaving under this guise to do so.
Cause & effect are actually inseparable if we're genuinely seeking a LASTING solution to this protracted menace.

I hope you get my point of view now...

Sangoamadioha1:



I get your view and believe me everyone knows what you are talking about but the topic under discussion is different from your argument.
This topic is about not giving leave of absence so that those that have japa will not be collecting salaries from FG again and thereby free space for the unemployed. Is that so hard to understand

alwayzonlyn:


It's okay, if you insist on your view.

I however see that we're still not ready to address this issue from the root but only interested in the continuous palliation of an already crumbling system. We'll only keep going round a vicious cycle until the day we're ready to "call a spade a spade".

As always, I wish Nigeria well.

#shalom

Sangoamadioha1:



It is a free world, if you want to japa, please do so but resign first so that those without the opportunity to japa will replace you.
We all know the cause and the solutions, so what you are saying is not new. While we wait and see if things will get better, those with opportunity to relocate should do that so that more spaces will be opened for employment.

alwayzonlyn:


PS - I'm not in anyway supporting individuals who take up permanent employment elsewhere without first resigning from their previous place of work. And nothing in my write-ups has suggested such.

#shalom

alwayzonlyn:


PS - I'm not in anyway supporting individuals who take up permanent employment elsewhere without first resigning from their previous place of work. And nothing in my write-ups has suggested such.

#shalom

alwayzonlyn:
Will this really solve the japa syndrome??

They'll simply resign & leave the system!!!

As a matter of fact, this policy will only end up stopping the very few that genuinely intend returning.

Instead of the government to address the main issues pushing the health workers away (which mainly bothers around remuneration & welfare), they keep beating round the bush & embarrassing themselves with archaic & not well thought out policies.

FreeStuffsNG:
What's making them leave yet have their names still on the register? It seems the reason why they need to keep a slot here in Nigeria while working elsewhere full time in far flung Australia makes sense to you even after the explanation by the Minister of state that you are free to leave and even come back if you like but just don't keep your name on the list so that others who are willing and ready to stay back and work can take the slot.

alwayzonlyn:


What exactly is pushing them out of the system?

Has the government bothered to find out and most importantly, address the factors head on??

femi4:
Why is it difficult for government to remove their names. Seems somebody is shying away from his responsibility