The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, has said the new National Policy on Health Workforce Migration will help bring back Nigerian healthcare professionals, including doctors who are currently working in various countries abroad.

His stance follows the Federal Government’s approval of the health policy to address the continued exodus of Nigerian doctors from the country.

Pate in a post on his official handle on X on Monday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling the challenges surrounding healthcare human resources in the country.

He said President Bola Tinubu had approved the policy while presiding over the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

“This policy is more than just a response to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals; it’s a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health worker migration,” the minister said.

“It envisions a thriving workforce that is well-supported, adequately rewarded, and optimally utilized to meet the healthcare needs of all Nigerians.”

“By establishing streamlined registration processes and providing attractive incentives, the policy not only encourages the return of our talented professionals but actively reintegrates them into our health system. This approach leverages the expertise of our diasporas to bridge gaps within the health sector.

“Also, the policy champions reciprocal agreements with other nations to ensure that the exchange of health workers benefits Nigeria. These bilateral and multilateral agreements are designed to protect national interests while respecting the rights and aspirations of our healthcare professionals. We call on recipient countries to implement a 1:1 match—training one worker to replace every publicly trained Nigerian worker they receive.

“Recognising the importance of work-life balance, the policy includes provisions for routine health checks, mental well-being support, and reasonable working hours, especially for younger doctors. These measures aim to create a supportive work environment, reducing burnout and enhancing job satisfaction,” the minister stated.

As a follow-up to Monday’s announcement, the minister on Tuesday said the policy signed by the president was a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health workers’ migration.

“The National Policy on Health Workforce Migration addresses the critical challenges facing Nigeria’s health human resources. As the AU Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership, Mr President’s commitment to a resilient and robust healthcare system is powerfully reflected in this forward-looking policy.

“This policy is more than just a response to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals; it’s a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health worker migration. It envisions a thriving workforce that is well-supported, adequately rewarded, and optimally utilised to meet the healthcare needs of all Nigerians.”

Many Nigerian healthcare workers have left the country for greener pastures as a result of inadequate equipment, worsening insecurity, poor working conditions, and poor salary structure.

The minister noted that central to this vision was the Nigeria Human Health Resource Programme, which sets a framework for regular reviews of working conditions, ensuring that health workers, especially in rural and underserved areas, receive the recognition and rewards they deserve.

67% Of Nigerian Doctors Practise In UK

Pate also said doctors and nurses trained in Nigeria are sought-after globally, and that 67 per cent of them work in the United Kingdom (UK).

The minister, on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, said if health workers of Nigerian origin pull out of the National Health Service (NHS), the service will struggle.

He said Nigerian doctors and nurses are attractive and the country should be proud of that. He noted that not all Nigerian health workers leave the country and that those who leave have their reasons for exiting.

He added the policy “is really about health diplomacy and promoting ethical recruitment practices”.

“The recruitment countries; that recruit our professionals, should they not have some responsibilities to help us expand the training? Because the strain of health workers’ migration is continuous; it’s not going to stop tomorrow.

“The UK will need Nigerian doctors. 67% of our doctors go to the United Kingdom and 25% of the NHIS workforce is Nigerian.

“Does the UK, for instance, want to consider expanding the pre-service education? Can we have corridors that allow us to have a compact that ‘you’ll take so but you will also help us train more so you will replace them’? That is in the realm of health diplomacy and ethical replacement,” Pate said.

“Nigerians are very vibrant, very entrepreneurial, and very capable wherever they are. If Nigerians hold back from the UK, for instance, the NHS will struggle to provide the services that many Nigerians are going there to get,” he added.

Pate said over 75% of health workers trained in the last year have left Nigeria for other countries as economic migrants. “We have good training centres here, and the universities are doing a great job,” he admitted.

Healthcare Journey Needs Collaboration, Innovation, Commitment

While also speaking on the development, the Director, of the Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu said the nation’s healthcare journey should be characterised by collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to the health and prosperity of all Nigerians.

He added that the policy would strike a balance between the aspirations of healthcare professionals, and Nigeria’s healthcare needs.

He said, “The National Policy on Health Workforce Migration in Nigeria is a forward-looking strategy that seeks to strike a balance between the needs of the healthcare system and the aspirations of healthcare professionals. By implementing a holistic set of interventions to develop regular and managed migration systems, the policy aims to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare delivery, improve health outcomes, and secure the future of the nation’s healthcare workforce.”

Magnitude, Trend Of Migration Among Nigerian Health Workers

Data collected from regulatory bodies indicate the magnitude and trend of migration of different cadres of health workers over the years, below are some of the most impacted categories of health workers, this represents health workers who requested letters of good standing or verification from the respective regulatory body.

Medical Dental Council of Nigeria (Medical Doctors and Dentists)

The year 2022 represents the peak of the migration of medical doctors with over 3000 doctors requesting for letter of good standing from the MDCN. As of December 2022, the United Kingdom is the destination for 68% of Nigeria’s medical and dental professionals who migrated out of Nigeria through MDCN. Other countries of destinations are Canada (10%), USA (7%), UAE (5%), Australia (3%), Ireland (3%), Saudi Arabia (1%) and Maldives (1%) (Note that this figure does not represent the total migration of medical and dental professionals but only those that informed MDCN about their migration). 89% of all external migrants indicated that their reasons for external migration are for professional practice.

Nursing Midwifery Council Of Nigeria (Nurses and Midwives)

There was a huge jump in the number of Nurses requesting verification to migrate from NMCN, with 52% of nurses and midwives who needed a letter of good standing to move choosing the United Kingdom as their new home, while 36% chose the United States of America. Other 17 countries account for only 12% of the total migration number.

Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN)

The years 2021 and 2022 alone accounted for 89% of the total migration of Medical Laboratory Professionals through MLSCN between 2018 and 2022.

Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Pharmacists)

Canada is the destination for 72% of pharmacists who left Nigeria through PCN in 2022, the number of Pharmacists who migrated through PCN has not changed significantly compared to other cadres of health workers between 2018 and 2022.

Optometrists

There has been a steady rise in the number of Optometrists who have migrated from Nigeria in 2021, this is more concerning when compared to the numbers who migrated in 2021 and 2022 to the total number of graduates

Physiotherapists

In 2022, 1,020 physiotherapists requested letters of good standing from the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists (Registration) Board of Nigeria (MRTBN) to process their travelling, this number of physiotherapy emigrants is more than the total number of physiotherapy emigrants through MRTBN in the previous four years (from the year 2018 to 2021). Out of tens of countries that need a letter of good letter of good standing, the United Kingdom is the home destination of 91% of physiotherapists who left the country through MRTBN. They believed that health and care workforce migration worsens the shortage of healthcare professionals, leading to longer waiting times, reduced patient-to-provider ratios, limited access to specialized care, and decreased quality of healthcare services. This also weakens the healthcare system’s ability to respond to public health challenges and perpetuates the cycle of workforce shortages by reducing investment in health education and training. (Channels TV)

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