Brain drain: SIFAX boss advocates review of doctors’ pay

Chairman, SIFAX Group, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, has called on the Federal Government to improve the remuneration of health workers in the country to stem the tide of migration of doctors and other health workers out of the country.

Speaking at his investiture as the Chancellor of Gerar University of Medical Sciences, Imope-Ijebu, Ogun State, Afolabi said the mass migration of health professionals, especially doctors and nurses, “negatively affects the country’s health care delivery”.

Asserting that the ugly trend must be frontally tackled by the government, he noted that aside from the provision of modern equipment and tools at public health facilities across the country to improve service, priority attention must also be devoted to the welfare of dispirited health professionals in the country.

He said: “Many of our competent medical hands have been lost to developed countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, where sufficient encouragement in terms of remuneration, modern work tools and a conducive working environment have been provided to attract talents from all over the world.”

“This migration by young Nigerians has negatively affected almost every sector of the country, but it is safe to conclude that the health sector has been the biggest victim of this ‘Japa, syndrome. The few doctors, nurses and other health professionals that are left in the country are overworked and grossly underpaid when compared to their counterparts globally.”

Afolabi, who lauded the proprietor and management of the specialised institution for their foresight in establishing the university at a time the country needed to produce more quality health workers, said Gerar University of Medical Sciences could become a reference point and a centre of excellence in medical education and research in the country.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Niyi Adetoro, said the new university would leverage technology and innovation to drive its vision, adding that the support of corporate organisations and public-spirited individuals would be required to support the university’s ambitious vision, which necessitated an endowment fund of N500 million.