Nigerian medical
practitioners based in the United States of America under the aegis of the
Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas on Tuesday said they were
determined to relocate to the country if the Federal Government could
provide incentives for them.
The
Punch report continues:
The
doctors, led by their National President, Nkem Chukwumerije, stated this in
Abuja when their executive officers paid a courtesy call on the Chairman, Senate
Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuosho, at the National Assembly
complex.
The
ANPA members said they were interested in returning home to help their
fatherland but lamented the government had not done enough to
encourage them.
Chukwumerije
listed poor remuneration, inadequate modern equipment and a lack
of low interest loans for those who want to set up medical facilities in
Nigeria as some of the impediments to their homecoming.
He
said, “The major barrier preventing the relocation of medical doctors back to
Nigeria is incentive. Every human character and behaviour is linked to
incentives. Some of the incentives to get back the medical doctors abroad to
Nigeria are not in place.
“Most
of us here love our country and our hearts are in Nigeria but we just have to
be physically at another country. We are very passionate about improving
health care system here but the incentives; especially remuneration send people
out and force them to remain abroad.
“Another
thing is a lack of proper equipment to work with. Most people abroad honestly
want to come back. But to physically relocate, we will need the right
financial incentives.
“The Federal Government
should provide low interest loans for health care workers so that medical
practitioners abroad could bring their money and have access to low interest
loans.”
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