The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, Amos Magaji on Thursday, said that the migration of health workers (known as japa) from Nigeria to other countries in search of greener pastures possess significant challenges to the nation’s health care system.

He stated this at a public hearing on 16 bills aimed at establishing one health institution or the other organised by the committee in Abuja.

Magaji said the core of the hearing is to provide guidance on the actualization of the Federal Government’s commitment to improve the health care sector through the wide distribution of Healthcare Institutions in Nigeria.

He said that as a result of the growing population, there is the need for reference hospitals closer to the people, particularly in rural and suburban areas, which have grown critical for ensuring success of government initiatives to improve healthcare.

According to him, tertiary health institutions in Nigeria are designed to provide tertiary healthcare services to complement primary and secondary care in the national healthcare system, adding that in order to develop and expand the country’s training institutions and ensure an equitable distribution of health manpower, the federal government must balance the inequality in the distribution of tertiary institutions across the country.

He argued that the mass exodus of health workers and professionals to other countries presents a significant challenge to Nigeria’s healthcare sector, saying “Recently, there has been an enormous migration of doctors, Nurses and other health workers in search of “greener pastures” in other countries, leaving Nigeria’s health sector severely understaffed.

“The need to reposition the healthcare sector to meet numerous emerging challenges is crucial to its improvement. To succeed in this era, a system that is well invested in human resources and medical intelligence as the backbone of the health sector is required.

“The administrative appointment of capable persons based on merit in hospital management also has a role to play.

“The structural quality of a health system is heavily influenced by its healthcare infrastructure. As we carried out oversight functions to healthcare institutions across the country since the inauguration of this committee, what are undeniably evident are infrastructural deficiencies of health services, lack of equipment resulting largely from inadequate funding of health institutions by the government, and a total lack of maintenance culture for equipment provided”.

In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate said health sector research including that of the cardiology is already taking place in many fronts in Nigeria, while establishing the Institute will be an additional financial burden on government, adding that government is cutting down on the cost of governance by pruning down agencies of government.

Represented by a director in the ministry, Dr. Jimoh Olawale Salahudeen, the Minister said the Ministry remains enthusiastic and supportive of every effort geared towards ensuring growth and progress in the health sector.

He said while the Ministry appreciate the effort of the House of the Representative in deepening healthcare services including training and research in the country, cardiovascular research is not in alert level than any other non-communicable diseases to warrant a compelling need for the establishment of National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Research and Treatment Centre, in Kano.

“The Federal Teaching Hospitals In Northwest geo-political zones include: Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital Kano State, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State, Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital Sokoto and Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina state, Federal Medical Center (FMC) Azare Bauchi State, FMC Birnin Kebbi in Kebbi State, FMC Birnin Kudu in Jigawa State, FMC Gusau in Zamfara State.

“These aforementioned existing Federal ‘Tertiary Hospitals’ (FTHs) Cardiovascular Units have not been overstretched nor reportedly underserving the people in the geopolitical zone. In addition, other State Tertiary Hospitals in this zone complement the effort of the FTHs in responding to some of the specialized cardiovascular cases in this region. These hospitals have not been reported to be undeserving the people.

“The migration of health workers and the epidemics and their emerging trend underscore the need for Nigeria to have enough and efficient health workforce that will be readily available when there are any health emergencies”.

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