The Federal Government has announced plans to recruit more health professionals and engage Nigerian health workers in the diaspora to curb the “japa syndrome” – a term used to describe the brain drain in Nigeria’s health sector.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed this during his tour of federal government health facilities in Ogun State. He emphasized that President Bola Tinubu is committed to providing adequate and qualitative healthcare delivery for all Nigerians.
Key Strategies to Address Brain Drain
To mitigate the japa syndrome, the government plans to:
– _Recruit more health workers_: The government has been given the green light by President Tinubu to recruit more health workers than any other sector.
– _Engage diaspora health workers_: The government is “harvesting” the contributions of Nigerian doctors in the UK, US, and Ireland to support the country’s healthcare system.
– _Expand training capacity_: The government is expanding its capacity to train more health workers.
Dr. Salako also appealed to the state government to domesticate the Mental Health Act at the state level. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, confirmed that the state will domesticate the act, emphasizing its commitment to providing mental health care for residents.
This development comes as Nigeria faces a significant shortage of health workers. According to the World Health Organization, Nigeria has one of the lowest health worker densities in Africa.