Prof. Akinsanya Osibogun, the President, Postgraduate Medical College Fellows’ Association, on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to focus on training and retaining skilled medical professionals in Nigeria.
He said that around the world there is high demand for skilled professionals in the health sector especially in the UK, U.S and Canada.
Osibogun said this while speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the the 17th Annual Scientific Conference and All Fellows’ Congress (ASCAF) in Ilorin.
The programme is themed: “Improving Health Care Financing In Nigeria”, with subtitle: ‘Technology in Medicine and Public Private Partnership”.
He urged the government to stem the brain drain known as “Japa syndrome”, where skilled professionals are leaving the country for greener pasture abroad.
“To retain your skilled professionals, you must give enough incentives to keep them here. And incentives are both financial and non-financial,” he said.
The expert identified poor renumeration and lack of adequate infrastructure as major challenges confronting medical practitioners.
“We know that government alone can not do it. So, all stakeholders have to put in place mechanism to improve health sector and retain people we have trained in the country.
“The only way to retain them is by improving on their work environment so that all equipments and tools they need to render service would be available.
“Medical practitioners have to be well renumerated and the environment must be conducive to keep them in the country,” he said.
Osibogun observed that younger doctors are migrating out of the country, adding that “we need those younger doctors to be available for us to train them to become specialists and remain in Nigeria”.
“As a country, we need to come up with plans to ensure that required equipment are available geopolitically, statewide or by ward,” he advised.
He therefore enjoined all tiers government to improve on their remuneration for healthcare workers, conducive working environment, tools and equipment.
Dr Foluwasayo Ologe, the Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the ASCAF conference, had earlier described the theme of the programme as apt as there is need to improve healthcare financing in Nigeria.
According to him, there is need for public private partnership to support the healthcare system in the country.
Ologe, who is a Professor of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Ilorin, asserted that the days of crude medicine is long gone as technology has taken over.
“A lot of technology goes into medicine. Through technology, robotic surgery helps in surgical intervention without the doctor being near the patient,” he said.
On his part, Prof. Adekunle Okesina, Consultant Chemical Pathologist of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), explained that the primary function of the college is to produce specialists in all branches of medicine and dentistry.
According to him, it oversees the postgraduate medical education and training of pathologists in Nigeria through its Faculty of Pathology. (NAN)