On Friday, Dr. Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for Health, reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring accessible and quality healthcare for all Nigerians.
The minister highlighted that as part of the government’s strategy to address the issue of brain drain in the healthcare sector, efforts are being made to recruit more health professionals to enhance healthcare delivery across the country.
Salako also mentioned that the government is engaging with Nigerian healthcare workers abroad, aiming to leverage their expertise and global experience to contribute to the development of Nigeria’s health sector.
He shared this during a tour of the Federal Government’s health facilities in Ogun State, including visits to the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro in Abeokuta and the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba in Abeokuta.
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At a town hall meeting at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Salako revealed that the government is “harvesting” the contributions of Nigerian doctors in the UK, US, and Ireland, among other countries, to help improve the country’s healthcare system.
He emphasized that to address the “japa” syndrome (mass migration), the government is expanding its capacity to train more healthcare workers and has received approval from President Tinubu to recruit additional personnel to combat manpower shortages in the health sector.
“We are expanding our capacity to train health workers, and we are also engaging with Nigerian health workers in the diaspora—particularly those in the UK, US, and Ireland. While they may not be physically present, we can still benefit from their contributions to Nigeria’s health sector,” Salako stated. “The President has granted us a waiver to recruit more health workers than any other sector. These are the efforts we are putting in place to address the challenges in the health sector.”
Salako also urged the state government to adopt the Mental Health Act at the state level to improve access to mental healthcare for local residents.
Dr. Tomi Coker, the Commissioner for Health, assured that the state would implement the Mental Health Act, calling it a key part of the state’s commitment to its people.
She emphasized the increasing mental health challenges caused by societal pressures and stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of citizens.
Coker also mentioned that the state continues to collaborate with the federal government on various healthcare initiatives, including upgrading federal health facilities.
Dr. Paul Agboola, the Provost and Medical Director of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, expressed excitement about the minister’s visit and the potential collaboration with the state government to implement the Mental Health Act.
He confirmed that discussions had already taken place with the Commissioner for Health, who was fully supportive of the initiative.
