Former Rivers State governor and Pro-chancellor of Pamo University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Dr. Peter Odili, has called on the federal government to look into the wages of medical doctors and other healthcare personnel in the country as a way to stem brain drain.
Odili made the call on Monday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital at the induction and oath-taking ceremony of 65 medical graduands of the institution into the medical profession.
He also called on the government to retrain relevant healthcare personnel to manage local health facilities.
The ceremony was performed by the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Professor Fatima Kyari.
He, however, lauded President Bola Tinubu for the bold initiatives of his administration to reposition the country’s health sector.
“Madam Registrar, let me also use this opportunity, using you as a contact of the federal government, to thank Mr. President for bold initiatives in the health sector that we have seen signs of. We congratulate him.
“And we urge him to pay very special attention to the training of health professionals because they hold the key to national health. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation,” Odili said.
The former governor stated that since its inception about eight (8) years ago, the university has added no fewer than 330 professionals to Nigeria’s health sector.
He further stressed that if other institutions in the country could make similar contribution to the sector, Nigeria would not be bothered about health professionals running away from the country.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Smith Jaja, said the graduands were the first to pass through the Pamo Teaching Hospital, emphasizing that they passed through the best of training.
Jaja also thanked Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for granting scholarship to brilliant indigenes of the state, to enable them achieve their dream career through the university.
