Japa: Tinubu Reveals What Government Plans To Do To Bring Doctors Back

President Bola Tinubu has vowed to intensify efforts to curb the migration of Nigerian medical professionals abroad.

Tinubu stated that the government would work to encourage them to return and serve the country.

Naija News reports that the president spoke on Monday in Abuja through the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, at the opening and induction ceremony of the 50th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the West African College of Physicians, marking the college’s golden jubilee.

“We will work hard to stem the trend of Japa so that we have the people coming back to serve in our region,” Tinubu said, referring to the migration of skilled professionals in search of better working conditions and opportunities abroad.

The President said the government had prioritised recruiting, retaining, and supporting healthcare workers, as well as training them.

He explained that the government had employed more than 30,000 health professionals in federal health facilities over two and a half years.

He said the administration had also trained thousands of frontline health workers, strengthened specialist medical institutions, and doubled quotas for medical education to address the country’s health workforce needs.

Tinubu said the government had introduced reforms to improve healthcare infrastructure, expand health insurance coverage and strengthen primary healthcare delivery.

“We firmly believe that quality healthcare is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a fundamental right that should be accessible to every resident of Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, the government has invested in constructing, rehabilitating and equipping health facilities, while efforts are ongoing to modernise tertiary hospitals and revitalise primary healthcare centres.

He added that the government was strengthening direct financing for primary healthcare facilities through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund to improve service delivery.

The President also said the government was leveraging digital innovation to improve patient records, disease surveillance and data-driven decision-making.