Brain Drain: Pharmacist Charges Tinubu to Revamp Health Sector

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

In the face of exodus of health workers from Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has been charged to take drastic measures to end the dangerous trend in the health sector in Nigeria.

The Chief Executive Officer of Vastovers Group, manufacturers of pharmaceutical products, Vast Emordi, made the call yesterday in Abuja at the sidelines to mark World Food Day and Drugs for the needy, arguing that food and drugs should be provided by either the government or rich Nigerians to make life easy for the poor.

He added that quick intervention in revamping deplorable health care centres and calculated intervention in welfare, drug provision scheme, as well as emergency services, would help to upgrade care and control the brain drai currently being experienced in Nigeria.

Emordi said in the new dispensation, there is a need for the president to beam his searchlight on the health sector, especially the Primary Health Care centres at the grassroots.

According to him, “I believe that the president will look strongly into the health sector and will bring in workable policies that will curb the menace of brain drain in the country. The statistics of Nigerian doctors that have left the shored of the country for greener pastures is alarming considering the ratio of doctors to patients. This only means that Nigeria needs them more, but due to unfriendly policies, the number of Nigerian doctors overseas had continued to rise.

“People at the grassroots bear the brunt. Many of them cannot access healthcare, and where they get access, payment for services rendered becomes a problem.” 

“I believe that the president would consider primary health care and drug provision at that level to keep our people alive.

“Poverty and growing inequality are some of the underlying causes of food insecurity. Poverty erodes or nullifies the rights to adequate food, housing, health, safe water, education, and others.”

While quoting the United Nations on food security, Emordi said: “Poverty and human rights, such as the right to food and social security, are interrelated. The right to adequate food is an essential human right, yet millions of persons remain food insecure.”

On social protection, he harped on the need for social protection, stating that that can play a key role in the progressive realisation of the right to adequate food for all.