The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal government to remove impediments on healthcare workers path to migrating for greener pastures.
The NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, made the submission at the 11th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) on Friday in Abuja.
The theme of the Conference is “The Nigerian Health System in the Era of Economic Downturn: Challenges and Way Forward.’’
Ajaero said the removal of the impediments is imperative due to the unfortunate socioeconomic situation confronting workers and indeed the Nigerian masses.
“These have deep consequences for not just the provision of effective healthcare platforms to deliver services to those in need of its services but for the professionals or workers practicing in the sector.
“The already poor equipment and general decay of infrastructure in the sector has worsened because of the economic situation while remuneration of workers have lagged thus unable to meet the basic needs of workers in the industry.’’
He said that health delivery services have also gone beyond the reach of the average Nigerian, and further complicating the already bad situation.
Ajaero said there are consequences to the increasing number of health care professionals and workers leaving the nation are in droves.
He added that, it is not just in pursuit of better living standards but in pursuit of self-actualisation and job satisfaction.
“The dearth of your members in the industry as a result of the brain drain is having serious implications for the industry’s capacity and capability to deliver quality and effective services to Nigerians.
“That is why the NLC will continue making demands on the government for fair wages to workers in all sectors especially in critical and sensitive ones like yours; workers will always move to where they are treated better.
“We once again demand that the government removes all the impediments it is putting on your path to migration but rather should focus on making workers in the sector enjoy better working conditions.
“Let salaries and wages be commensurate with the cost of living; let there be functional equipment in the hospitals and let workers be treated as human beings,” he said.
The NLC president also said the theme of the conference is not only apt but captures the objective realities that confront the health sector.
He said there was urgent call to engage and resolve them for the purposes of crafting a better future for the sector and Nigeria.
Ajaero commended the union’s commitment to improving the working conditions, welfare, and rights of healthcare professionals.
A former President of the Comrade NLC, Ayuba Wabba, called on the Federal government to be transparent in its activities.
Wabba said there should be open communication between the citizens and the government for clearer understanding of government policies.
He also urged the union to continue to speak with one voice and remained united for the good of its members.
Also, Dr Kabiru Minjibir, acting National President of MHWUN, said that the issue of japa syndrome was a painful aspect in the Nigeria health sector.
Minjibir said there are several health workers, who are committed to.making sacrifices to serve their fatherland in spite of the humiliating pay structure and delivery in the country.
The acting president regretted that health workers are frustrated by the absence of the enabling work environment to fulfill their calling as professionals.
“It is either the machine to perform basic procedure were nor working or not available,” he said.
He said that health workers who emigrated abroad for greener pastures were hardly replaced; thus, compounding the occupational stress of the few health resources in health facilities.
Minjibir, however, charged the incoming leadership to ensure mainstreaming of young health workers and women into its leadership cadres.
He also urged them to develop strategies of ensuring that the existing assets of the union gave birth to other worthy assets, among others.