The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, has expressed concern over the relocation of nurses abroad.
Prof Fabamwo spoke at the opening of the fifth Anniversary and Scientific Conference of the Retired Nurse Administrators Healthcare Initiative, held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium in Alausa, Ikeja.
The CMD lamented that he signs about four resignation letters daily for nurses, expressing the need to urgently address the trend.
He said: “Every day, I receive and sign between three to four resignation letters from nurses. As we speak, the nursing workforce in our facility has reduced by 35 per cent. Though we have received approval from Mr. Governor to employ their replacements, it is something that should be addressed.”
The CMD added that the LASUTH management is firming up plans to engage some of the retired but not tired nurses on a contract basis, to ensure patients do not suffer because of the mass exodus of nurses in the facility.
Fabamwo noted that the brain drain in the health sector is essentially an economic decision to seek greener pastures, but said all hands must be on deck to make working here encouraging.
He, therefore, challenged the retired nurses to also see how they can contribute their quota to change the ugly narrative. The CMD also hailed the nurses still in service, just as he lauded the various humanitarian initiatives of the Retired Nurse Administrators.
In April, president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) said Nigeria lost over 9,000 doctors to the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America between, 2016 and 2018.
He said the loss left Nigeria with only 4.7 per cent of its specialists to service the healthcare needs of the population and doesn’t paint the country in good light.