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500 Workers Left National Hospital In Two Years-CMD

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More than 500 personnel of the National Hospital, Abuja (NHA), left its services in search of greener pastures in the last two years, its Chief Medical Director, Prof. Mahmud Raji, has disclosed.
Raji told The Tide’s source yesterday in Abuja that most of them went abroad in search of better working conditions.
“The way they leave is a very hurtful thing for all hospital administrators.
“The most pitiful and worrisome aspect of it is the amount of money the Nigerian government has invested into each of these individuals either a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, a physiotherapist or whoever it is that leaves.
He said that the brain drain syndrome was an almost every day activity as he treats two or three files of young people wishing to leave.
“Sometimes, not only young people; some people have actually gone through the ranks with lots of experience that they could teach other people. So, Nigeria is losing so much, painfully.
“Here, we have lost a number of quite senior doctors, especially the middle cadre doctors, and the very young ones.
“Nurses have also left from the middle cadre and the younger ones. Some of our medical engineers are hotcakes outside and have left.
“I must tell you, Nigeria trains people so much, Nigerian graduates and staff are well sought after, all over,” he added.
On reasons for their departure, he said that remuneration and job satisfaction had always topped the list.
“For instance, if a doctor or a nurse comes here, he or she needs to see an environment that is quite serene, quite beautiful, even to rest in a very comfortable area during their one hour break.
“At least you are able to have something to eat, replenish your energy before you go back to the next phase of work, but usually, in our hospitals in Nigeria, we don’t have such.
“In terms of the remuneration, it may not be as good as what you would expect elsewhere. Even though I must say the purchasing power in Nigeria is far better than the purchasing power elsewhere and our money is still able to buy something.
“We should also look at the unsolved problem of inter-professional rivalry that also eats into people’s psyche. People should be comfortable with the next person they’re working with, be it a nurse, a physiotherapist or whoever.”
Raji also said that the necessary equipment needed to work were not there and when these equipment are either non-existent or obsolete, the healthcare practitioners feel that more should have been done.
He, however, said that past governments had tried by taking very decisive stance on matters of health.
The current government has also put in a lot to rejig the health sector, he added.
“From what we can all see, the current administration has actually rekindled that hope in us that in the next couple of months, at couple of years, we will be able to see a change or a shift in this mindset among Nigerian health professionals eager to leave the country.
“Hopefully, we should even be able to attract them to come back while we retain the ones that are here.”
He, however, said that NHA had employed various strategies to try to retain the healthcare personnel working in it.
“I may not be able to change their remuneration since this is within the purview of government, we try to pacify them because remuneration is usually the first thing people complain about.
“Secondly, in terms of welfare, at least we have tried as much as possible to relieve some of them.
“We have established cooperatives to assist staff, either financially or in whichever way they can be supported to get mortgages for their homes and other things.
“On our own, we sometimes get these mortgage organisations to come and assist our staff. We have been able to get some buses to relieve the stress that the staff get in conveying themselves from work back home and from home to work.
“We are trying to also make the environment where they work a bit more serene and accommodating for them. This would require a lot of funding, but at least with the little that we are able to get, we are able to do bit by bit.”
In terms of training, he said that since training out of the country may be expensive, the hospital arranges local trainings and, when it is able to, it supports them to go for trainings within the country and sometimes out of the country as the funds allow.
The CMD said the hospital was also trying to fix the equipment that were not working efficiently or not working at all.
“Through budgetary and intervention pathways, we are also trying to get in some more new equipment that will make them happy while doing their jobs.
“When you go to our laboratories now, you will see that they are not as they used to be.
“We have so many automated machines; with these machines, all you need to do is just to put in samples and then the thing runs by itself, unlike earlier on where a person will have to run this, after this, you do that. So, now, they have it a bit easier.
“They also feel like, yes, we are working where we would wish to have flown to, to work. So we are upgrading our laboratories or rather, to a very large extent, we are comfortable to call them automated laboratories.
“That’s what we are trying to do, at least in our own little ways, to make life better and the good thing is, some of them do appreciate it.
“But, however much you try, some people are already fixated on leaving,” he said.
On the issue of inter-professional rivalry in the healthcare profession, he said that even though it exists in other institutions, at NHA, there has been some sort of a very harmonious relationship.
He added that hardly were there local strikes at NHA in the last couple of years because of that harmonious relationship.
“But the staff is not in isolation as they also mingle with other people outside.
“So, once in a while you would hear such complaints, but then some of these issues are actually realistic that you find in other centres and it can really be quite bad.
“It sometimes affects the function of some of such organisations but we are lucky here that we are able to, at least, control it.”
To put an end to it or at least control it, he said that several attempts were made to resolve the problem, but sometimes when solutions were about coming, some other bodies may lobby to stop it.
He recalled that a couple of years ago, a certain committee was set up by the Federal Government to look into it and the committee made some recommendations.
“I am not sure those recommendations have been fully implemented, but things might probably have changed now such that it’s time to probably have a new committee set up to look into this.
“I assure you that with the current administration and the mandate given by the president to resolve the issues in healthcare and the ministers we have running the ministry, people have the confidence that they have the roadmap to solving this problem.
“We have to look at it holistically such that you don’t just see doctors as a group, solve their problem, but while solving their problem you will have problem of nurses.
“So also, when you call the nurses and solve their problem, you cause a problem for the radiologist or the pharmacist and things like that.
“From the feelers we’re having from our interactions with those of our leaders in the ministry now, they’re likely going to look at it in that holistic manner, where it should be a win-win for all facets of healthcare.”

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Monarch Hails Fubara Over Road Project

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Ogene of Asa Asi Asaga Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Andrew Enemuwa, has expressed gratitude to the Governor of the State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for the award of the contract for construction of Igiri- Ubimini-Egbeda-Elele road project.
Eze Enemuwa said the people of the local government are proud associating with a visionary leader like Governor Fubara whose interest in the development of his people knows no bounds.
The monarch, also the Secretary of Ogba Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Council said the unprecedented crowd of ONELGA people that attended the event shows that Governor Fubara is greatly loved and cherished by the people.
The Eze Dike Di Nu Obi of Ogbaland said the presence of the traditional rulers at the event speaks volumes.
The Okene Asa Kaka urged the people of the area to support Governor Fubara to attract more development to the local government area.

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1,680 Children Abducted In Nigeria -UNICEF

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As Nigeria marks 10 years anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok girls, the United Nations Children Fund( UNICEF) has  put the number of abducted children at different schools within the last 10 years in Nigeria at 1,680.
The organisation said this at an event it organised in conjunction with the Faculty of Media and Communications Studies in the University of Port Harcourt to mark the 10 years anniversary of Chibok girls abductions.
According to UNICEF release read by Communication officer, UNICEF Nigeria Dr Mrs Ijeoma Onuoha Ogwe, 180 children were killed within the period under review due to attacks on schools, while an estimated 60 school Staff were kidnapped,14 killed and more than 70 attacks on schools.
It urged the Nigerian Government and security agencies to intensify effort towards the rescue of the 90 remaining Chibok girls.
UNICEF described the Chibok girls saga as a wakeup call to the severe risks children face in their pursuit of education
‘Today, reflecting on this tragedy and other recent abductions, it is evident that our efforts to safeguard our children’s future must be amplified
“Given this alarming statistics, we must address not only the symptoms but also the root causes of this crisis,” it said.
UNICEF also said that the threat of abduction of students is severely affecting children’s learning.
“As at 2021, over one million children were afraid to return to school and in 2020, around 11,500 schools were closed due to attacks”, it said.
It called on the government and the international community to ensure that all schools have the resources and tools to fully implement the minimum standards for safe schools, focus on the most vulnerable regions and address critical gaps in safe schools infrastructure.
UNICEF also called for preparedness for natural disasters, conflicts and comprehensive approaches to violence against children.
Others include, strengthening law enforcement and security measures to protect educational institutions and communities from attacks and abduction, prioritising education and child protection in national policies and budget allocations to create a safer, more inclusive environment for all Nigerian children and ensure the continuity of education and learning when schools are shut through multiple learning pathways such as radio and TV programme and through digital platforms the Nigerian learning Passport.
Ogwe said UNICEF is working with the Nigerian Government to ensure that every child can access safe learning environment.
“The agency has supported the inauguration of state safe school steering committees and the drafting of state costed implementation plans for safe schools in 13 States.
“It also provides school grants, safety kits training and awareness raising to accelerate the implementation of the minimum standards for safe schools.
“As we remember the Chibok girls and all children whose rights to education have been compromised, let this somber anniversary serves as a catalyst for change”, UNICEF said.
Speaking with The Tide, Dr Nwachukwu Ginikanwa said the anniversary should serve as a wakeup call to the authorities to take the issue of security seriously.

John Bibor

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Fubara Has Rekindled Rivers Hope-Former Envoy

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As the one year anniversary of the Governor Siminalayi Fubara administration in Rivers State draws closer, a former Chairman of Eleme Local Government Council, Amb.Oji Ngofa, says the Governor has rekindled the hope of Rivers people.
Amb. Ngofa said within the one year of the administration, the Governor has shown a sense of connecting the people and the government unlike the immediate past administration led by Chief Nyesom Wike.
The former Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) explained that within one year, Rivers people are seeing a visionary leadership whose imagination is essentially focused on the desire to improve the lives of the people, with the sole aim of creating an economy where everyone can participate.
Speaking in an interview in Port Harcourt, the forrmer Ambassador said Governor Fubara has been able to engage relevant stakeholders and sectors of the State which, according to him, remains the hallmark of leadership.
He emphasised that with Governor Fubara, no doubt, Rivers State is in safe hands, saying with Governor Fubara, there is the likelihood that the State would be greater than other States.
He noted that the Governor’s vision to develop and give capacity to the people in order to participate in the economy as well as creating the enabling environment for business to flourish in the State, coupled with his peaceful nature, have all combined to endear him to the people.
Amb Ngofa said real power comes from how well one is connected with the people through good leadership, and the people on their own voluntarily surrender to you just as Governor Fubara has demonstrated within the past one year, stressing that that has informed his decision as an astute politician just like all well-meaning Rivers people to align with the Governor in order to move the State forward .
He described Governor Fubara’s milestones in infrastructure, human capital development, health and agriculture as monumental.
Amb Ngofa urged the Governor to ensure his revitalisa- tion programme on Songhai Farms extends to Buguma and Andoni fish farms and Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), and expand on the initiative, as it is critical in job creation for the teeming youths of the State.
“ In his one year in office as governor, Rivers people have seen the difference in terms of governance and total departure from self. Now Rivers people are having easy access to their governor. His focus is on policies and programmes that are capable of revitalising the economy aimed at improving the wellbeing of Rivers people, not just one man. Projects are springing up in all parts of the State, not necessarily in Port Harcourt and Obio,/ Akpor. All in just one year despite the distractions”, he said.

The Port Harcourt ring road loan to small skill medium businesses are one of the biggest achievements of his administration
Aleto- Woji road abandoned by the last administration had been carried on by a government that has interest of the people at heart
Despite the destruction ,he had demonstrated sense of focus on his primary duties as a governor
We are not just seeing monumental projects ,Rivers people are seeing total commitment to create an economy that will enable Rivers people to have a hold on there lives especially with projects like revitalizing Shonghai ,plaintain farms .
It is critical focusing on human capital development .I am aware of his programme of revitalising the economy ,state owned industries through public private partnership
Rivers people hope had been rekindled and those of us who are critic to the governor Wike led administration had been vindicated
Urging Eleme people to support the administration of governor Fubara to achieve their common dream which is development.

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