How to bring back doctors, health professionals who left Nigeria – Pate

Professor Ali Pâte the ministerial nominee from Bauchi State says doctors and other health professionals leaving the country can be re-attracted if work conditions, remuneration and other such things are deliberately made better.

The public health expert mentioned this while answering questions during his screening for a ministerial role before the Senate Wednesday.

Asked about his thoughts on doctors leaving the country for greener pastures, he said the situation is not all doom and gloom. He mentioned that there may be some value in going out and then coming back to support the country with the new knowledge gained.

“I left this country in 1983. Why did I leave? Has it translated into better value than if I stayed here? I think we produced health workers, doctors and all kinds of professionals and will need to look at the conditions of service, the circumstances, the compensation and in a way re-energized the sector,” he said.

Read also: Ali Pate hinges turnaround in Nigeria’s healthcare on financing

“Because no one joins the sector without a passion or without being committed to serve his or her patient, I think we need to renew that concentration in terms of health so that we can retain the health workers that we produce.

“To train them, effectively remunerate them so that they can serve our people is something very important.”

He spoke about creating and benefiting from all the value chain around the health sector which are also capable of bringing back Nigerians professionals who have left the country.

He also said the World Bank contributed N2 billion towards the completion of the National Cancer Centre while the project was active. Which now lies uncompleted in the Federal Capital Territory.

Senator Adamu Aliero, who was FCT Minister at the time, under Umar Musa Yar’adua administration, and who was also in the chamber during the screening, explained that Pate was not responsible for the abandonment of the centre.

He said the Center was not abandoned but it was funds they were waiting for.