Reps committed to stopping mass exodus of health workers – Kalu

By Christiana Ekpa

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has expressed the parliament’s readiness to support efforts that will increase more skilled health workers in the country and curtail the mass exodus of health workers seeking greener pastures abroad.
Kalu stated this when he received a delegation from a Turkish company, Duysiad Group and Flekssit Office Furniture Limited, led by its President and Member of board, Ahmet Kızılöz in his office at the National assembly on November 28.
The Deputy Speaker decried the impact of exodus of medical professionals from Nigeria, saying that it might lead to importation of health services.
He therefore called for mechanisms and structure to be put in place to refill and replace, noting that the nation’s problem is not with numbers but with skills.
Commending the Turkish company for their interest in establishing a medical school, which will focus on healthcare education and research, the Deputy Speaker said that Nigeria is ready for investors to come in.
He recalled that President Bola Tinubu during a recent trip to Saudi Arabia expressed Nigeria’s readiness for investment, adding that the parliament will in line with the government’s renewed hope agenda, soften the ground for investors through legal framework.
Kalu said, “Turkey is like a second market to Nigeria, for building materials, medical equipment, building furniture in our various homes. The business of Turkey to Nigeria is an advantage when you compare how far we can travel in regards to Asian country like China. Proximity to market, has always been an advantage in economy relationship. I want to say that we have no regret working with Turkey before now and I am sure we are not going to have any regret working with Turkey in the future. Going through the letter you sent which I just glanced through now, seeing the area of interest which includes having a medical school, provide health services, equipping those who will provide health services is an area of need for the nation and the department is aware of this especially when we consider the huge exodus of medical practitioners out of the country.
“The parliament will be supporting any efforts towards that direction, to make sure we have more skilled health workers, in our country. It’s our intention to take care of our medical issues, and health security, using or leveraging our local health professionals, rather than importing health services from outside the country. You see a situation where, the impact of exodus of medical professionals from Nigeria, might lead to our importation of health services, which I’m sure is going to increase cost of the provision of health services to our country men and women.”