ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSED NEW RETIREMENT AGE FOR HEALTH WORKERS IN THE COUNTRY - INCREASING YEARS OF SERVICE IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO NIGERIA’S HEALTH SECTOR
May 25, 2021 | News
It is appalling to always see Nigerian Governments, rather than address issues affecting the populace from the roots, they prefer to harp on the leaves of these issues. At the end of the day, not only are these issues affecting the populace are still there, they are made worse and further complicated by the actions of the Government.
-By Zik Gbemre
ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSED NEW RETIREMENT AGE FOR HEALTH WORKERS IN THE COUNTRY - INCREASING YEARS OF SERVICE IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO NIGERIA’S HEALTH SECTOR
Of all the problems in the nation’s health sector, which have remained neglected by the Nigerian political leaders that prefer getting medical attention abroad, how come this is the only major thing the Federal Government believes would improve the conditions of service of Nigerian health workers?…
With an inadequately funded health-care system, squalid clinics and hospitals, and poorly paid and overworked health care workers, should the Government be surprised or question why Nigerian health workers are moving abroad to work?…
By increasing the retirement age of Nigerian health workers, they are only increasing the years of suffering and enduring the existing poor conditions of service in the country’s health sector…
It will be tragic, if, having gone through the turmoil and challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic – our political leaders still refuse to wake up, and unwilling to focus on building world-standard health infrastructure that can compete with those in developed countries, and which they would easily desire to patronize…
It is appalling to always see Nigerian Governments, rather than address issues affecting the populace from the roots, they prefer to harp on the leaves of these issues. At the end of the day, not only are these issues affecting the populace are still there, they are made worse and further complicated by the actions of the Government. That is how best I can describe the recent news made public through the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige who spoke at a meeting between the presidential committee on salaries (PSC), relevant federal government stakeholders, health sector professional associations, and trade unions, who said the Federal Government is proposing to increase the retirement age for medical doctors from 60 to 65, and 70 for health workers and consultants in the country.
According to the Minister, the proposal is aimed at improving the conditions of service of Nigerian health workers. And I cannot help but wonder how does the increase in the retirement age of health workers in Nigeria improve their conditions of service, and also address the many problems in the nation’s health sector? How does this proposed plan by the Federal Government help the ordinary Nigerian have access to better health care delivery? Of all the problems in the nation’s health sector, which have remained neglected by the Nigerian political leaders that prefer getting medical attention abroad, how come this is the only major thing the Federal Government believes would improve the conditions of service of Nigerian health workers?
It is no news that Nigerians, have for decades, suffered from an inadequately funded health-care system, squalid clinics and hospitals, and POORLY PAID AND OVERWORKED HEALTH CARE WORKERS, most of whom frequently move abroad for better employment opportunities. There are at least 8,178 medical doctors of Nigerian origin working in the U.K., according to data on the U.K. General Medical Council website, a more 50% increase from 2015. Apparently, the exodus has worsened the already bad healthcare in a country that has one doctor for every 5,000 people, according to the Nigeria Medical Association. With such disturbing prevailing situation in Nigeria’s healthcare system, one would have thought that any serious-minded Government that comes in, would do all that is within its power to address the health and mental wellbeing of its citizenry. Sadly, that has not been the case. What we have had and seen are political leaders who do not seem to care or concerned as much as they should, in addressing the problem in the nation’s health sector, especially for the common man.
It is even more annoying when the said Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige said: “We also discussed the issue of retirement age for health workers, being that we want to keep our health workers here in Nigeria. A lot of people are coming here to poach and take away people we have trained at very great cost. It takes a lot of funds to train a medical doctor, nurse or even a laboratory technologist or physiotherapist. So, we want to retain them here…”
That is clearly an indication that these people do not know what is happening in the country’s health sector and why they are happening. Rather than ask relevant questions like: Why are Nigerian health practitioners exiting the country in droves to other developed nations? And how can they as the Government address this trend? Here they are telling themselves that a lot of people (apparently referring to foreigners) are coming here to poach and take away Nigerian health practitioners. Whereas, Nigerian practitioners are the ones who are leaving because they are only seeking for the existing better opportunities abroad to better their lives and families. And instead of the Nigerian Government to focus on improving the deplorable health sector and conditions of service of health practitioners, so as to make the sector more attractive for our Doctors and Nurses to stay here, they are instead, thinking that the solution is to increase their years of retirement. And by that action, they are only increasing the years of suffering and enduring the existing poor conditions of service in the country’s health sector.
If the nation’s health sector is so good, that they now want to increase the retirement age of health workers so as to make them stay in the country, how come the majority of Nigerian political leaders and their families do not patronize Nigerian hospitals where these health workers are working? All of them prefer going for medical treatments in UK, US, France, United Arab Emirates, and even India. But how many of them patronize the Teaching hospitals there? Every hospital in the UK and US for instance, are well-equipped with modern medical gadgets with the same General Practitioners and Specialists Medical Doctors. One does not need to get treatment in Teaching Hospitals over there because the Teaching Hospitals are more of places where potential doctors are trained.
Let us recall that Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari recently traveled to London for a “routine” medical check-up, and he left the country just two days before NIGERIAN DOCTORS WENT ON STRIKE OVER UNPAID SALARIES AMONG OTHER VITAL ISSUES. For over two weeks the President was in London, where he enjoyed uninterrupted electricity, traveled on good roads, and was taken good care of in a well-equipped hospital for his medical check-up – something that the majority of regular Nigerians do not get to enjoy or even have a taste of in most part of their lives. Buhari’s last trip to London will be his first medical trip abroad since the pandemic, which stripped much of Africa’s elites of the option of flying to the UK, France or India to see doctors. And Buhari’s last trip will make it the 6th time in six years he has gone for such medical trip, which many have described as a complete waste of taxpayers’ money.
If they are finding it difficult and unwilling to regularly pay the existing health workers in the country, won’t the increase in their years of retirement further add to the existing problem? It will be tragic, if, having gone through the turmoil and challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which adversely affected every aspect of the Nigerian economy and peoples’ ways of life – our political leaders still refuse to wake up, or unwilling to focus on building world-standard health infrastructure that can compete with those in developed countries, and which they would easily desire to patronize.
To say that the majority of Nigerians are greatly disappointed at the President Buhari-led Federal Government, would be putting it mildly, especially as regard their stand and actions toward addressing the healthcare issues in the country. And part of that disappointment was hinged on the fact that President Buhari had expressed and promised Nigerians that he would end medical tourism in the country, as one of his campaign promises for the 2015 Presidential elections.
Like I have always said, especially with everything that has happened because of the Coronavirus pandemic; one would have thought that Nigerian political leaders will learn a vital lesson in life – which is: whatever hospitals and Health infrastructure that they refuse, or unwillingly to build/provide today with the nation’s resources, will one day come back to haunt them, or become their savior. And so, it is with every other sector in the country. Whatever schools, roads, housing, electricity supply, improved economy and standard of living; that they refuse/neglect/abandon/unwilling/disregard today or whenever they were/are in positions of power – will one day come back to haunt them and their future generations. That is one principle of life. These things have a way of coming back to haunt them. So, when a politician refuses to do what is expected of him when given the opportunity to serve in that public office, let him be reminded that posterity has a way of catching up! If not in their life time, it will be in the lifetime of their children, and children’s’ children.
Zik Gbemre.
May 25, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
-By Zik Gbemre
ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSED NEW RETIREMENT AGE FOR HEALTH WORKERS IN THE COUNTRY - INCREASING YEARS OF SERVICE IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO NIGERIA’S HEALTH SECTOR
Of all the problems in the nation’s health sector, which have remained neglected by the Nigerian political leaders that prefer getting medical attention abroad, how come this is the only major thing the Federal Government believes would improve the conditions of service of Nigerian health workers?…
With an inadequately funded health-care system, squalid clinics and hospitals, and poorly paid and overworked health care workers, should the Government be surprised or question why Nigerian health workers are moving abroad to work?…
By increasing the retirement age of Nigerian health workers, they are only increasing the years of suffering and enduring the existing poor conditions of service in the country’s health sector…
It will be tragic, if, having gone through the turmoil and challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic – our political leaders still refuse to wake up, and unwilling to focus on building world-standard health infrastructure that can compete with those in developed countries, and which they would easily desire to patronize…
It is appalling to always see Nigerian Governments, rather than address issues affecting the populace from the roots, they prefer to harp on the leaves of these issues. At the end of the day, not only are these issues affecting the populace are still there, they are made worse and further complicated by the actions of the Government. That is how best I can describe the recent news made public through the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige who spoke at a meeting between the presidential committee on salaries (PSC), relevant federal government stakeholders, health sector professional associations, and trade unions, who said the Federal Government is proposing to increase the retirement age for medical doctors from 60 to 65, and 70 for health workers and consultants in the country.
According to the Minister, the proposal is aimed at improving the conditions of service of Nigerian health workers. And I cannot help but wonder how does the increase in the retirement age of health workers in Nigeria improve their conditions of service, and also address the many problems in the nation’s health sector? How does this proposed plan by the Federal Government help the ordinary Nigerian have access to better health care delivery? Of all the problems in the nation’s health sector, which have remained neglected by the Nigerian political leaders that prefer getting medical attention abroad, how come this is the only major thing the Federal Government believes would improve the conditions of service of Nigerian health workers?
It is no news that Nigerians, have for decades, suffered from an inadequately funded health-care system, squalid clinics and hospitals, and POORLY PAID AND OVERWORKED HEALTH CARE WORKERS, most of whom frequently move abroad for better employment opportunities. There are at least 8,178 medical doctors of Nigerian origin working in the U.K., according to data on the U.K. General Medical Council website, a more 50% increase from 2015. Apparently, the exodus has worsened the already bad healthcare in a country that has one doctor for every 5,000 people, according to the Nigeria Medical Association. With such disturbing prevailing situation in Nigeria’s healthcare system, one would have thought that any serious-minded Government that comes in, would do all that is within its power to address the health and mental wellbeing of its citizenry. Sadly, that has not been the case. What we have had and seen are political leaders who do not seem to care or concerned as much as they should, in addressing the problem in the nation’s health sector, especially for the common man.
It is even more annoying when the said Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige said: “We also discussed the issue of retirement age for health workers, being that we want to keep our health workers here in Nigeria. A lot of people are coming here to poach and take away people we have trained at very great cost. It takes a lot of funds to train a medical doctor, nurse or even a laboratory technologist or physiotherapist. So, we want to retain them here…”
That is clearly an indication that these people do not know what is happening in the country’s health sector and why they are happening. Rather than ask relevant questions like: Why are Nigerian health practitioners exiting the country in droves to other developed nations? And how can they as the Government address this trend? Here they are telling themselves that a lot of people (apparently referring to foreigners) are coming here to poach and take away Nigerian health practitioners. Whereas, Nigerian practitioners are the ones who are leaving because they are only seeking for the existing better opportunities abroad to better their lives and families. And instead of the Nigerian Government to focus on improving the deplorable health sector and conditions of service of health practitioners, so as to make the sector more attractive for our Doctors and Nurses to stay here, they are instead, thinking that the solution is to increase their years of retirement. And by that action, they are only increasing the years of suffering and enduring the existing poor conditions of service in the country’s health sector.
If the nation’s health sector is so good, that they now want to increase the retirement age of health workers so as to make them stay in the country, how come the majority of Nigerian political leaders and their families do not patronize Nigerian hospitals where these health workers are working? All of them prefer going for medical treatments in UK, US, France, United Arab Emirates, and even India. But how many of them patronize the Teaching hospitals there? Every hospital in the UK and US for instance, are well-equipped with modern medical gadgets with the same General Practitioners and Specialists Medical Doctors. One does not need to get treatment in Teaching Hospitals over there because the Teaching Hospitals are more of places where potential doctors are trained.
Let us recall that Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari recently traveled to London for a “routine” medical check-up, and he left the country just two days before NIGERIAN DOCTORS WENT ON STRIKE OVER UNPAID SALARIES AMONG OTHER VITAL ISSUES. For over two weeks the President was in London, where he enjoyed uninterrupted electricity, traveled on good roads, and was taken good care of in a well-equipped hospital for his medical check-up – something that the majority of regular Nigerians do not get to enjoy or even have a taste of in most part of their lives. Buhari’s last trip to London will be his first medical trip abroad since the pandemic, which stripped much of Africa’s elites of the option of flying to the UK, France or India to see doctors. And Buhari’s last trip will make it the 6th time in six years he has gone for such medical trip, which many have described as a complete waste of taxpayers’ money.
If they are finding it difficult and unwilling to regularly pay the existing health workers in the country, won’t the increase in their years of retirement further add to the existing problem? It will be tragic, if, having gone through the turmoil and challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which adversely affected every aspect of the Nigerian economy and peoples’ ways of life – our political leaders still refuse to wake up, or unwilling to focus on building world-standard health infrastructure that can compete with those in developed countries, and which they would easily desire to patronize.
To say that the majority of Nigerians are greatly disappointed at the President Buhari-led Federal Government, would be putting it mildly, especially as regard their stand and actions toward addressing the healthcare issues in the country. And part of that disappointment was hinged on the fact that President Buhari had expressed and promised Nigerians that he would end medical tourism in the country, as one of his campaign promises for the 2015 Presidential elections.
Like I have always said, especially with everything that has happened because of the Coronavirus pandemic; one would have thought that Nigerian political leaders will learn a vital lesson in life – which is: whatever hospitals and Health infrastructure that they refuse, or unwillingly to build/provide today with the nation’s resources, will one day come back to haunt them, or become their savior. And so, it is with every other sector in the country. Whatever schools, roads, housing, electricity supply, improved economy and standard of living; that they refuse/neglect/abandon/unwilling/disregard today or whenever they were/are in positions of power – will one day come back to haunt them and their future generations. That is one principle of life. These things have a way of coming back to haunt them. So, when a politician refuses to do what is expected of him when given the opportunity to serve in that public office, let him be reminded that posterity has a way of catching up! If not in their life time, it will be in the lifetime of their children, and children’s’ children.
Zik Gbemre.
May 25, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes