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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has said his administration has uncovered on its payroll some medical doctors who left the state employment and migrated abroad to seek greener pastures abroad, commonly known as japa.
Gov Otti who made the disclosure at the first Abia State Council on Health in Umuahia, said such doctors were still collecting salaries from the state despite they had left the state employment and are now working abroad.
Speaking on the theme, “Providing an Accessible, Affordable and Quality Healthcare System for the New Abia”, the governor, observed that doctors’ emigration had impacted negatively on the state’s health sector, and promised to tackle the trend by giving doctors a special welfare package from next year.
He said, “The ‘japa’ syndrome has indeed taken its toll on the health sector; however, this administration is not leaving any stone unturned in addressing this challenge. To this end, the government has resolved to motivate our health care workers through prompt payment of their wages and improvement of welfare packages that we will introduce from 2024.”
“We are in the process of recruiting new skilled birth attendants to improve healthcare service delivery in the state. Furthermore, our ongoing digitalisation of the Abia State civil service has uncovered some staff that have left their duty post for greener pastures, yet still receive remuneration from the government.
“While the criminality involved in this is going to be addressed by the relevant agencies of government, the important thing here is that we do not have the number of hands that were hitherto reported. We are working hard to fill these gaps,” he said.
The Minister of Health, represented by the Permanent Secretary of Abia State Ministry of Health, Dr Ifenyinwa Uma-Kalu, stressed the need for state governments to support the Federal Government by providing the necessary infrastructure in the health care system.
Abia State Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, described the first State Council on Health as a demonstration of the commitment of Otti’s administration to prioritising developmental initiatives that was capable of unlocking the potential of Abia’s strategic human capital.
