‘Japa’ Syndrome: Kwara Gov Approves Recruitment Of Medical Doctors, Others

Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has given approval for the replacement of medical doctors, nurses, and other health personnel, who exited the state service in search of greener pastures abroad.

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

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

Malik, a pharmacist, stated that the essence of the governor’s approval 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 wages abroad.

He disclosed that the state government was recruiting medical staff to fill the existing vacancies and to ensure that more doctors were available to attend to 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.

The executive secretary of the Hospital Management Board, who attributed the exodus of medical doctors from the country to economic factor, said many health personnel, who relocated to abroad did so as a result of attractive pay.

Malik, however, expressed delight that Governor AbdulRazaq administration has deployed measures to discourage exodus of medical doctors and other health 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.

Earlier, the state chairman of NUJ, Abdullateef Ahmed, had raised the alarm about the recent reports that about half of the nation’s medical personnel, especially medical doctors, either relocated or currently reside in some developed countries portends danger for the nation’s health sector.