Minister expresses dismay at JAPA syndrome

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alousa, has expressed dismay over the “JAPA” syndrome that has left a considerable gap in the country’s human resources for health.
Dr Tunji asserted this during the commissioning of projects at the National Ear Care Center Kaduna yesterday.
He, however, assured that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Health has made significant strides in addressing these critical challenges facing the health sector by responding decisively.
According to him, admission quotas in health training institutions across the country have been increased to ensure that they are training more healthcare professionals to fill these gaps.
“Furthermore, we have reviewed and increased the renumeration of healthcare workers to not only recognize their invaluable contributions but also to encourage them to remain within our shores and serve our people.
“In line with the principles of accountability and efficiency, the Federal Ministry of Health is also developing a National Electronic Medical System.
“This initiative will revolutionize governance within our hospitals, improving patient management, data collection, and, ultimately, health outcomes. The digitization of our healthcare system is an integral part of our strategy to deliver world-class healthcare services to all Nigerians.
“All these efforts are in alignment with the four strategic pillars of the Federal Ministry of Health, which are: Improving Governance in our health institutions, Improving Population Health Outcomes, Unlocking the health value chain, and Ensuring health security for all Nigerians.”