The Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) has urged the swift and effective implementation of the Health Workers Migration Policy, emphasizing its potential to transform the nation’s healthcare sector.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday in Lagos, the National President of ANPMP, Dr. Kayode Adesola, highlighted the importance of the policy as a sustainable solution to the challenges posed by the migration of health workers.
He noted that the policy is long overdue and essential for ensuring access to quality healthcare for Nigerian citizens.
“The policy is well-conceived, focusing on pull factors rather than trying to force health workers to stay. This approach is more enduring compared to previous, poorly coordinated efforts that didn’t yield significant results,” Adesola said.
He pointed out that other countries, such as Palestine, have long implemented similar policies, where compensatory measures are in place for every health worker who migrates abroad.
Adesola explained that Nigeria’s policy would encourage bilateral or multilateral agreements, ensuring a symbiotic exchange of healthcare workers rather than the current one-sided migration trend.
“The idea is to make it compulsory that if we send a health worker abroad, that country must train another one for us in return. This one-for-one matching will help fill the significant vacuum created by the brain drain, which has nearly crippled our health system,” he added.
Adesola also underscored the policy’s focus on digital health infrastructure, describing it as a critical step towards achieving a more efficient, data-driven healthcare system.
He applauded the Federal Government for developing the policy but warned that its implementation must not be stalled, as has happened with previous health policies.
However, Adesola expressed concern that the policy does not address the issue of insecurity, a major factor driving health workers out of the country.
On August 12, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, announced that the Federal Government had approved the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration.
The policy aims to manage, harness, and reverse the migration of health workers that has negatively impacted Nigeria’s healthcare system.
It also promotes reciprocal agreements with other nations to ensure that the exchange of health workers benefits Nigeria.
NAN
