67% Of Nigerian Doctors Practise In UK, NHS Will Struggle If They Leave – Minister
The Minister of Health, Ali Pate has said that doctors and nurses trained in the country are sought-after globally, adding that 67% of them work in the United Kingdom.
The Minister of Health, Ali Pate has said that doctors and nurses trained in the country are sought-after globally, adding that 67% of them work in the United Kingdom.
Pate spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, noting that if health workers of Nigerian origin pull out of the National Health Service, NHS, the service would be on life support.
He was commenting on the new National Policy on Health Workforce Migration approved by President Bola Tinubu to tackle the exodus of health workers from Nigeria in a phenomenon known as "Japa."
He noted that one of the focus areas of the new policy was the promotion of a decent work environment which was not beyond 12 hours per shift.
Pate further noted that, Nigerian doctors and nurses were attractive pointing out that the country should be proud of them, stressing that not all Nigerian health workers leave the country even as those who leave have their reasons for doing so.
His words, "The policy is really about health diplomacy and promoting ethical recruitment practices.
“The recruitment countries; that recruit our professionals, should they not have some responsibilities help us expand the training? Because the strain of health workers’ migration is continuous; it’s not going to stop tomorrow.
“UK will need Nigerian doctors. About 67% of our doctors go to the United Kingdom and 25% of the NHIS workforce is Nigerian.
“Does the UK, for instance, want to consider expanding the pre-service education? Can we have corridors that allow us to have a compact that ‘you’ll take so but you will also help us train more so you will replace them’? That is in the realm of health diplomacy and ethical replacement.
“Nigerians are very vibrant, very entrepreneurial, and very capable wherever they are. If Nigerians hold back from the UK, for instance, the NHS will struggle to provide the services that many Nigerians are going there to get."
Pate further pointed out that over 75% of health workers trained in the last year have left Nigeria to other countries as economic migrants adding, “We have good training centres here, and the universities are doing a great job."
Pate further noted that, Nigerian doctors and nurses were attractive pointing out that the country should be proud of them, stressing that not all Nigerian health workers leave the country even as those who leave have their reasons for doing so.
His words, "The policy is really about health diplomacy and promoting ethical recruitment practices.
“The recruitment countries; that recruit our professionals, should they not have some responsibilities help us expand the training? Because the strain of health workers’ migration is continuous; it’s not going to stop tomorrow.
“UK will need Nigerian doctors. About 67% of our doctors go to the United Kingdom and 25% of the NHIS workforce is Nigerian.
“Does the UK, for instance, want to consider expanding the pre-service education? Can we have corridors that allow us to have a compact that ‘you’ll take so but you will also help us train more so you will replace them’? That is in the realm of health diplomacy and ethical replacement.
“Nigerians are very vibrant, very entrepreneurial, and very capable wherever they are. If Nigerians hold back from the UK, for instance, the NHS will struggle to provide the services that many Nigerians are going there to get."
Pate further pointed out that over 75% of health workers trained in the last year have left Nigeria to other countries as economic migrants adding, “We have good training centres here, and the universities are doing a great job."
According to him, there is freedom of movement and the government cannot stop them from leaving but the government will make it conducive for them to stay and practice in the country, even as the new policy will facilitate incentives for medical workers to stay in Nigeria with improved welfare packages as well as enhanced capacity development. Source: Channels Television.
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