Brain drain: We’ll provide enabling environment for doctors – FG

The Federal Government says it is working to provide a conducive environment in the health sector so as to tackle migration of medical doctors outside the country.

Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Ali Pate, disclosed this at the induction of 25 graduating medical doctors of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.

Represented by Alhaji Yakubu Abdullahi, one of his aides, Pate explained that the federal government is leaving no stone unturned in its  id to tackle the ‘Japa’ syndrome.

The Minister said when these efforts begin to yield results, it would encourage even those who have left the country to come back home to practice and further enhance the sector.

“There are two core areas of this initiative and the first one is the provision of an enabling environment in tackling every hurdle that is making it difficult for the medical and healthcare services in Nigeria less affordable and accessible.

“The second one is encouraging medical professionals that are even in diaspora to begin to see the reasons why they should come back home and put their talents, expertise, experience and knowledge in the healthcare service delivery.

“Thousands of them are out there in the UK, US, and other parts of the world for reasons being that the environment in Nigeria is not conducive and in this regard, we are trying to make some changes so that they are being attracted back home,” Pate said.

On his part, Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Muhammad AbdulAziz, who was represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor , Academics, Prof. Sani Kunya, assured all the stakeholders that the College of Medical Sciences, just like the other Faculties in various other fields of study in the institution, would continue to provide the nation with quality trained graduates in both character and learning.

The VC commended the cumulative effort of both the Bauchi State Government, the Governing Council of the University and other stakeholders in ensuring that the College of Medical Sciences took off and was today getting its first set of students inducted by MDCN.