FG canvasses ethical workforce migration policy with UK

The Federal Government has canvassed for an healthcare workforce migration policy with the United Kingdom that is structured, ethical and mutually beneficial, emphasising its importance to achieving Universal Health Coverage.

The Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said this in a keynote address at the UK-Africa Health Summit organised by the Global Health Partnership at the Royal College of Physicians, London.

In his keynote address, he explained that the country is facing severe shortages of healthcare professionals with adverse impacts on Nigeria’s health systems. These, according to him, included doctors, nurses and midwives, who migrated to the UK with the USA and Canada as other major destination countries.

He said “Health workforce migration from many parts of Africa which has increased in the last few years is a critical concern worsening the fundamental problems of shortage of skilled healthcare workers with adverse impacts on our national health systems.

“This challenge is particularly intense in my country being the highest healthcare workforce exporting country in Africa with UK the key destination.”

Salako further buttressed his assertions by saying “Between 2020 and 2022, there has been a 145%, 70% and 900% increase in the number of doctors, nurses and midwives and, laboratory scientists respectively that requested for letters of good standing from their regulatory bodies in order to migrate out of Nigeria.

“68% of the doctors and 52% of the nurses and midwives migrated to the UK with the USA and Canada being other major destination countries.”

To achieve government’s objective of universal health coverage agenda on Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative; Nigeria, the Minister stated that the country has developed a National Policy on Health Workforce Migration that is committed to engaging partners like the United Kingdom.

This strategy, the Minister emphasised, will strengthen government’s deliberate initiative for the health sector, to save lives, reduce physical and financial pain and, produce health for all Nigerians.

By the Guardian

https://guardian.ng/features/health/fg-canvasses-ethical-workforce-migration-policy-with-uk/