Work is ongoing on migration policy to put under check the brain drain in the health sector, especially as it concerns the nursing profession, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria Dr. Faruk Abubakar, has revealed.
He made this known in Abuja at the 2023 Annual General Meeting/Scientific Conference of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, held in the Federal Capital Territory Chapter.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the conference had the theme, ‘Our Nurses, Our future’.
Abubakar, who was the guest of honour at the event, said Nigeria was hard-hit by brain drain in the nursing profession, but gave the assurance that the country was working on its migration policy to overcome the challenge.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Brain Drain in Nursing: Strategies to Ensure Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Nursing Workforce’, Abubakar said Nigeria ranked seventh among 57 countries facing a critical shortage of health workers.
He said, “To curtail the situation, recruitment of more nurses is needed. If the government can provide the necessary facilities, welfare, adequate insurance for the nurses, better working environment, brain drain will be a thing of the past.
“Government should invest more in the training of nurses; the government should take appropriate measures in tackling all the challenges.”
The immediate past President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Ayuba Wanna, said governments must look into workers’ salaries, particularly with the removal of fuel subsidy.
He said nurses play a critical role in the healthcare sector and their entitlement must not be toyed with.
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Dr. Olusade Adesola, said the administration has strong support for nurses.
According to him, the administration is concerned about the welfare of FCTA staff, which the nurses are a critical part of.
Meanwhile, the keynote speaker at the occasion and Acting Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Allied Health Science, University of Abuja, Mrs. Khadijat-Toyin Musah, said that there was a need to look into nursing education, noting that the gap between knowledge and practice was wide.
“We must go beyond theories. There is a disconnect between what we learn in school and what we are practising in the field.
”We must make sure there is no disconnect between theories and practicals. Nurses must be knowledgeable enough to command respect,” she added.
Earlier, the Chairman of NANNM, FCT Chapter, Deborah Yusuf, called for the provision of education and training opportunities for nurses.
She also said nurses should be well-equipped with the necessary tools to excel and advocated improved welfare packages to motivate them.
(NAN)
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