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Sodiq Ojuroungbe
The Chairperson of Nigeria Association of Nurses and Midwives in Ogun state, Roseline Solarin has revealed that no fewer than three health workers in the state exist Nigeria every week for greener pasture.
The NANNM Chairperson lamented that the association keep receiving resignation letters almost every week.
She said this on Tuesday during the 2021 Annual Nurses week held at the Nurse’s house in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
Solarin lamented that the exodus of health workers was due to poor renumeration, insecurity and lack of basic working equipment that have allegedly bewildered the Nigeria’s health sector.
She noted that the insecurity in the country is alarming and has become one of the reasons why health workers leave the country as they are not “free to move.”
She maintained that there is a need for the government to declare state of emergency in the health sector.
She added, “honestly speaking, a lot of our members are relocating to the developed world. The reason is not farfetched.
“One, there is poor renumeration, the economic situation of the country, health workers are not well treated, some of the incentives that would make them to work better are not available.
“Insecurity is causing a lot of high blood pressure in the lives of people, because you are not sure of what is going to happen to you. You are not free to move anyhow. So if you are not safe where you are working, what is the point of staying there? Our people are moving even as far as Kuwait, China, India to go and work.”
“There are several issues, and that is why we are telling government that today exodus of nurses and other health workers in the country, we should declare a state of emergency in the country.
“Also every week in all the health facilities in Ogun state, you will receive two to three of people that are saying they are no more working and they have traveled. They are moving every day.”