Brain drain: Akwa Ibom moves to stop govt sponsored medical students from absconding

The member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, under the platform of the Young Progressive Party, YapP, Moses Essien, says the state government is putting up measures to bolster the health sector and reduce the incidents of brain drain.

In a chat with journalists in Uyo on Friday, the lawmaker expressed sadness over the growing number of students absconding after undergoing training programmes facilitated by the state government outside the country.

Essien, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, said the state government is deeply concerned about the development and has come up with a policy that would address it.

While noting that a large chunk of the 2024 budget was earmarked to revamp the health sector, Essien
said one of his motions on “the need to implement the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency Law” when executed would also bring a better package to health professionals.

He said though the state House of Assembly was yet to come up with a legislation to checkmate such, the state government has issued a circular making it mandatory for those undergoing sponsorship to come back and bring their wealth of experience for the development of the state and the health sector in particular.

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He said, “In my interactions with the Commissioner of Health and other management of the health sector in the state, I have discovered that there are a lot of persons that were sent out for training abroad, but could not come back, just because they have found a better opportunity in the places they have gone for training.

“As a House of Assembly, we have not yet come out with a legislation to curtail that, but I think the Executive Order is enough to curtail exodus of doctors being sponsored by the state government

“The state government has sent out a circular to those undergoing sponsorship for advanced knowledge in their areas of discipline, making it mandatory that they must come back and bring their wealth of experience to develop the state and the health sector.

“Not for you to take the government sponsorship and at the end you abandon the sponsor of the programme to the detriment of the state and the health sector.

“There are so much the present government is bringing, starting from remuneration and more incentives. It’s trying hard to put all those things medical doctors are complaining about in place so that they will not be lured to practice outside.”