The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on public health matters, Salma Anas, said the president is worried about the brain drain of medical professionals in the country.
She said the present administration is determined to reverse the Japa syndrome in the medical field in the country and retain the country’s professionals.
Anas said this in Abuja at the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria 2023 conferences.
She said: “Mr President is worried about the Japa syndrome which we inherited from the previous administration, part of our commitment is to see that we reverse that tourism and also that we sustain and retain our medical experts in Nigeria, not just through salaries and allowances but the working environment.
“They need to have a conducive and state-of-the-art working environment and that is what the government is trying to do at all levels and not just tertiary health institutions but the primary health level of care.
“Apart from that we are making efforts to improve the production of health workers in the country because they are grossly inadequate, in all the fields not just laboratory science, but also medical, nursing, and midwifery professions.
“So if you look at the relationship between medical workers and the population, it is grossly inadequate so we are looking at ways to increase the capacity of those not just in the public but private sector as well.”
The association said the body in collaboration with the medical laboratory science of Nigeria has shut down numerous numbers of unregistered laboratories to reduce misdiagnosis and other illegal activities that are affecting the image of the profession across the country.
The 2023 Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria’s conference themed, ‘Universal Health Coverage: the Medical Laboratories Priority in Nigeria is aimed at tackling challenges confronting the sector, brainstorming and implementing ideas adopted at the end of the event to reduce the growing trend of japa syndrome, improve on better working condition and to begin the process of manufacturing equipment and other Needed essential medical items in Nigeria.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
