FG Should Create Enabling Environment Before Mandating Doctors To Stay – Prof Tomori

A Professor of Virology, Wale Tomori says the Federal Government should create the enabling environment to motivate Nigerian-trained doctors, nurses and other health workers emigrating the country to work in Europe and other parts of the world to reconsider their choices.

Tomori also faulted the House of Representatives for passing for second reading, the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to mandate medical graduates to render services within Nigeria for five years before being granted full license.

Tomori, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise programme on Saturday, commented on the high rate of migration of young, skilled Nigerians in a phenomenon known as brain drain or colloquially called ‘japa’ which means to flee.

The virology professor said if the bill is made a law, government officials should equally stop seeking medical services abroad.

He said, “They (young Nigerian professionals) will continue to japa when you don’t create the enabling environment for them to stay.”

On the bill which seeks to make it compulsory for medical and dental graduates to stay in Nigeria for five years before they get their licenses, Tomori said, “We talk about capacity building but we don’t talk about capacity retention. You need to create an enabling environment for that capacity you have built to function.

“If you train me as a doctor and the facilities are not there. You want me to spend five years doing nothing? We must create the enabling environment for people to stay. My generation stayed because we had some things to work with…I don’t blame those who are leaving. It is not patriotism or lack of patriotism.

“Create the enabling environment for the people to function; the diaspora people will come back. That is the solution; it is not making draconian laws, saying you must stay for five years.”

For decades, doctors and nurses have embarked on industrial actions to protest poor welfare, unpaid salaries and other unfavorable work conditions but in spite government numerous promises, both at the federal and state levels, these issues have not been satisfactorily addressed, leading to the mass exodus of skilled health practitioners who are mostly embraced in places like the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, amongst others.