The Vice Chancellor of Elizade University, Ilara- mokin,Ondo state, Prof. Kayode Ijadunola, has called on Federal and state government to create a better working conditions and an improved remuneration for health professionals and workers, rather than introducing bill to stop their migration out of the country.
Ijadunola who expressed displeasure over a bill before the National Assembly to stop the migration of medical professionals seeking greener pastures abroad, said the bill will not only be stopped but will not see the light of the day.
The Vice Chancellor expressed this objection during the first induction ceremony of the newly graduated professional nurses from the institution
He said, the law, apart from the fact that it is against extant Labour laws, it is a billed tailored towards caging and gauging medical professionals from exercising given freedom to practice their profession.
He said; “This is unacceptable, it’s caging, gauging, it is coercion as nobody should be stopped from exercising given freedom to practice their profession wherever they want to practice.
“They could be saying they are being trained with tax payers money but not all of them. It might interest you to know today that most of these health workers are trained in private university and these trainings are not cheap.
“So that’s an unacceptable law that will not see the light of the day because professional will fight it to a stand still and it will be thrown to the dustbin.
“Let us do the needful by creating a conducive environment to retain the workers that we are training rather than gauging and coarsing them from leaving . We don’t need to tell them what to do”
Ijadunola noted that despite producing a significant number of health workers in the country, the nation is faced with the challenges of retaining those trained after their graduation.
He however, said there is no amount of health practitioners produced that would be enough for the country considering the way they are leaving the country in droves after graduation.
According to him, “globally, there is the shortage of health manpower, whether it is doctors, nurses or any other profession in health-related areas, which was made worse during the Covid-19 pandemic where a significant number of health workers retired.
“They just left the profession and walked away, due to the mental fatigue they burn out and all the things that accompanied the Covid era.
“A number of them left, and people are looking for doctors and nurses all over the world, so whatever we produced, and we don’t treat them well, the pay, conditions of service, security in the system, and other things”
While congratulating the 23 newly graduated professional nurses, including 21 female and two male, admitted into the Nurses and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the VC charged them to put their best in the profession.
“The journey has been long and tedious, fraught with happy moments and challenging ones too, but you have all weathered the storm and this is your moment of glory, please savour it and reel in the joy of the moment”
The guest Speaker, the Vice Chancellor of Achievers University, Irinoye, identified inappropriate salaries for health workers and the work environment as some of the factors attracting medical professionals abroad to greener pastures.
She said “People must be paid to commensurate with the nature of the work they do and whenever you see anybody doing shifting duties, you distort their rhythm. What people do in many places is compensate people for the nature of the work they do.
“People are running out because we are not meeting essential needs. Where they are running to is not as if they are doing free jobs; they get reasonable money that can enable them to meet their family needs.
“Our facilities are problematic. Things people need to work on are not there. If the health professionals work according to their training, we won’t have anybody working in our health facilities again.
” What we have in our laboratories is not available in the hospitals, making them improvise. We have hospitals without enough bedsheets.
“There are hospitals without electricity. I have been to a teaching hospital where nurses used the light on their phones to attend to patients. The working environment is not good enough for medical personnel.
“We have to look at our human resources, we have to look at our facilities. We have hospitals without water and we are talking about infection control.
“We have to do a lot of things that will reduce people going to hospitals at the community level to reduce infection and chronic diseases.”
Speaking to the newly graduated professional nurses, the Registrar/ Secretary General, of Nursing and Midwives Council, Dr. Faruk Abubakar, said “by this your degree will be recognised and you will henceforth be addressed as a Professional Nurse with the title Registered Nurse (RN) after your name
“This mark the beginning of your professional career as a nurse with the privileged for you to practice anywhere you choose.
“Do not allow what you have achieved today be the end of the road for you. I encourage you to continue learning, explore all the available opportunities to advance further in nursing as a career.
“As you embark on this fulfilling journey, remember that your role goes beyond mare caring. You are the healers, the comforters, and the advocates for those in need.
“Your dedication to providing quality healthcare is a beacon of hope in the lives of those you will serve. I encourage you to embrace the values of empathy, integrity, and continuous learning.
She said “Nursing is a dynamic field, and your willingness to adapt and grow will not only benefit you but also the countless lives you touch.
Each client you care for is a unique story, and you now hold the pen, to script positive chapters their healthcare experience. Together, we form a powerful force, committed to making a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities”
