Medical professionals moving overseas will no longer be eligible for leave of absence -FG
The Federal Government has ordered that health personnel who leave their positions to pursue better opportunities overseas must henceforth resign their posts before leaving, according to Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Health, who made the announcement on Saturday.
According to Alausa, it is no longer acceptable for health personnel to request for leaves of absence and then depart the country in pursuit of better offers.
The minister stated that the executive order issued by President Bola Tinubu to address the problem of brain drain, often known as “Japa Syndrome,” in the country’s health sector was the source of the prohibition on health professionals taking leave of absence.
This comes at the same time that Alausa announced that the FG has started training health care workers, increasing the number of registered nurses from 28,000 to 68,000 and projecting that number to 120,000 by the year’s end.
On Saturday, while visiting the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State, the minister made this statement.
He said the president has promised and done what he can to keep the health care system running smoothly so that Americans’ well-being is not jeopardised, since he views the people as the country’s most valuable resource.
“The government is not unmindful of the Japa effect on our manpower in the health sector and the President has ordered massive production of manpower such that when people go, there will always be replacement,” Alausa said, addressing the personnel shortages plaguing FG-owned health institutions.
In light of this, we are putting a lot of effort into enrolling our nurses. With an increase from 28,000 to 68,000 and a goal of 120,000 by year’s end, we will always have a surplus of qualified workers to replace those who leave.
Among other professions, we have seen a doubling of enrollment for dentists, chemists, and physicians.
It is a free globe, and we never said that somebody couldn’t go to the United Kingdom or Australia to take up appointments.
“But you can’t have it both ways,” the minister said. You don’t need a leave of absence application if you’re already planning to depart; just cancel your federal government appointments. All of the chief medical directors of federally owned health facilities have been informed of the presidential executive order to execute it.
The issue with a leave of absence is that even though the employee is earning a living in another country, his name remains on the government’s payroll. This makes it difficult to find a suitable replacement, as he is still being treated as an employee even though he has departed the country.
To address this issue, the president has issued a directive stating that health personnel who are intending to work abroad should just resign from their positions, rather than requesting leave of absence. By doing so, you will not be impeding the progress of others who are eager to work and, naturally, will not be leaving your colleagues with additional work to do.
Responding to the hospital’s demands—which included welfare packages, higher financing, and improved infrastructure—Alaausa promised that the ministry will spare no effort in its pursuit of better health outcomes for the country.
Dr. Paul Agboola, the hospital’s provost and chief medical director, had already praised the minister for his altruism and determination to improve the health system.
The Chief Medical Director announced that his administration had begun several long-planned initiatives, including the Institute of Psychiatry for the hospital, which had been planned for over 40 years, thanks to the Minister’s consent.