Chief medical director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Dr James Omietimi, has said that the bulk of medical personnel that are leaving the country for greener pastures are those rendering clinical services, adding that most departments in the hospital are grossly understaffed.
Omietimi, who spoke with members of the federated correspondents chapel of the NUJ Bayelsa State Council over the weekend, urged the federal government to allow hospitals to make some employment to replace the doctors, nurses, lab scientists, physiotherapists, among others, that have already travelled out of the country.
The CMD also stated that the hospital is yet to receive any tangible support from the state government despite the fact that most of the elites in the state access medical care from the hospital.
He pleaded with the state government to open doors for partnership with the hospital, while assuring the people of the state of better services at the hospital.
He said, “For now, we are not getting support from the state government but we are friends to the state. Majority of the people that come here are from the state so that is part of the discussion we intend to hold going forward. The state can support us in other areas. The state has supported us in the past and I believe that they will still support us.
“Funding is a major problem. It is not limited to us. Most of the equipment we use in government hospitals like the consumables, a lot of them are imported. We need a lot of money to purchase things that we use here.
„Another challenge which is not limited to us is the Japa Syndrome. It is a major problem. And the bulk of the people that are leaving are the clinical people that render clinical services. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab scientists, physiotherapists.
„They are leaving in droves on a daily basis. The departments are grossly understaffed. People that are working are overworked. In my department, we have only one registrar, a department that we used to have like fifteen registrars. Surgery is the same thing. Pediatrics we have one. Medicine we have one.
„The younger doctors are leaving the country in droves, that is a major problem and we need to replace them and for us to replace them, we need the permission of the federal government before we can replace them. Manpower shortage is a major problem. Government has put machinery in order for us to replace them but we have not gotten the final clearance.“
Omietimi noted that better opportunities coupled with the insecurity in the country, inadequate remuneration as well as lack of infrastructures and equipment are the major reasons medical personnel are leaving for greener pastures.
„People will always move when they have opportunity for greener pastures and what they believe are better opportunities coupled with the insecurity that we have in the country. Inadequate remuneration is also one of the things that is making them leave. Government should look at the issue of infrastructures and equipment that people need to work with.
„They should also look at increasing the retirement age for health workers. Government has been on this for quite some time. Judges retire at seventy, they should look at that angle too. This has been on the front burner for some time. A lot of health workers can still service up to 65, 70. In some countries, they work even up to eighty as long as they can work.
„Let them increase the retirement age from sixty to 65 and for consultants, to 70. Those are some of the things that are driving health workers to other countries. If they can look at those areas, it will reduce the number of people that are leaving the country for greener pastures,“ he stated.