FG considers performance-based wages for health workers

Says about 63.6m eligible population fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Worried about the relocation of healthcare professionals, especially doctors, nurses and pharmacists, to the Western world, the Federal Government has disclosed deliberate efforts at improving conditions of service of the nation’s health workers.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who spoke yesterday at the ongoing presentation of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s scorecard, also informed that as of January 2, 2023, 63,573,798 of eligible population target for COVID-19 vaccination had been fully vaccinated, while 12,151,775 of total eligible population were partially vaccinated.

According to the minister, ability to contain the virus is hallmark of Buhari’s achievement.
  
On remunerations, he noted that while brain drain remains a major problem in the health sector, it is not unique to Nigeria, as doctors, nurses and pharmacists in other countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Egypt, Turkey, Ghana and The Gambia experience same phenomenon.

Ehanire, however, unveiled plans to introduce a performance-based remuneration system, where health workers can be rewarded based on output beyond grade level salaries.

Besides, he informed of plans to fill the vacuum created in the industry by engaging Nigerian doctors in the Diaspora to share knowledge with their counterparts in Nigerian universities and health facilities, as well as train younger ones to take over from those that have left the shores of the country in search of greener pastures.