Ekiti Health Commissioner Rallies Colleagues against Brain Drain

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, has emerged the Chairperson of Nigeria’s  Health Commissioners’ Forum, urging colleagues in other states to champion policies to tackle brain drain, mortality rate and other  insecurity in health sector .

Filani, an appointee of Governor Kayode Fayemi, succeeds the outgone Forum’s Chairperson and Cross Rivers State Commissioner for Health , Dr. Betta Edu, who has just been elected as the National APC Women Leader .

A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Mr. Akinjide Akinleye, yesterday  quoted Betta as saying that the forum  elected Filani owing to superlative  leadership qualities he demonstrated since joining the Forum in 2020.

“Dr. Filani’s contributions to the Forum cannot be overemphasized. He has worked so hard for the upliftment of the forum, hence his election to pilot the affairs of this respectable body”, Betta said.

The statement said other Commissioners elected were Yobe State  Commissioner for Health(Deputy Chairperson), Kaduna

Health Commissioner (General Secretary), while Ogun State Health Commissioner emerged as Treasurer.

Responding, Filani said the new position will further imbue him with spirit to work hard and  synergise with other states to tackle brain drain, mortality rate and promote health security in all spheres.

The Commissioner  urged his colleagues to get prepared ahead of 2023 as the nation elects new set of leaders, saying the  predisposition of the new leaders to health and healthcare has implications on how health will be financed.

Filani said he would guide the forum to leverage on the growing  sense among Development Partners  to engage more at the sub-national levels, given the limited traction in their previous national-level strategies.

On how to achieve Public Health Security, Filani said: ” It is Covid-19 today, but in reality, Nigeria has had at least two disease outbreaks annually in the last decade.

“The current wave of brain drain is much higher than at any other time in the country’s history. Unlike in the past, more nurses are leaving in droves, with attendant consequences on the quality of service delivery in our Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).”