By Asma’u Ahmad
The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), has urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for health professionals to address the challenge of brain drain in the country.
The National President of the association, Mr. Abdulrafiu Adeniji, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
Mr. Adeniji who spoke on the sidelines of a scientific conference organised by the West African College of Nursing with the theme: ‘Advancing Nursing and Healthcare: The Emerging Possibilities and Challenges,’ said NANNM and the Nursing Council of Nigeria are conducting researches on the issue of brain drain.
“We want to find out what is causing labour mobility, and we have found out that people are not being motivated; they are deprived and not being treated well. It is not money alone that makes people to travel out of the country to practice; sometimes, they do not have the freedom to practice effectively. We need to negotiate for better
conditions of service with the government,” Adeniji said.
He said that without specialisation, patients would not get the quality services they required for improved healthcare delivery.
“We need more specialised professionals in the health sector as this will not only improve quality healthcare services, but also improve lives of our patients.”
