Physiotherapists lament brain drain in sector

The Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) has lamented brain drain in the health sector thereby blaming strike and ill-equipped health institutions for the trend.

According to Taiwo Adewumi, president of the association, 50 percent of physiotherapists trained in Nigeria are practising abroad because of uncertainty over their future and non-recognition of their status as major players in health care delivery.

Addressing journalists at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Adewumi said: “We are aware of the effect of the ongoing strike on the hospitals involved, this is because hospital services require team work. No profession can stand on its own unless the team works together as a unit.

“NSP is a professional body that shares in the principles of World Confederation of Physical Therapy and we are also members of the Joint Health Sector Unions. The eight-point demands of JOHESU and Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals are still the same but it is disappointing that the FG has refused to do the right thing.

Rejecting some of the recommendations of the Yayale Ahmed Report because some of the issues raised were matters that were still pending in law court, he said the  report duplicated duties and “that is one of the reasons why we rejected it.”

According to him, “We rejected the office of the surgeon general so there is no reason for the report to introduce or recommend it again.”

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While warning the Federal Government not to withhold the salaries of striking health workers in Nigeria, saying that such method would aggravate the situation noted that the workers were aware of the plan to frustrate their efforts to press for the union’s  demands.

The workers, he pointed out, were eager to return to work but yet to receive the government’s circular that would formalise the agreements already reached.

He deposed: “Since the declaration, there has been series of meetings with the government representatives. Six meetings were held between October 15 and December 24, 2014. The minister of labour and productivity, who presided over the December 22, 2014 meeting, promised to meet President Goodluck Jonathan to get approval leading to the issuance of circulars on the said matters.”

Adewumi posited: “Out of the 10 circulars we are expecting, only one was issued which is the one concerning consultant status of other health professionals. We are ready to call the strike off but it seems the president is being fed with wrong information on the effect of the strike. That is why he has not issued the approval for our demands. We are trying to meet him personally so that he will understand what we are demanding.”

REMI FEYISIPO