Brain Drain: FG rolls out funding, training reforms to retain medical experts

… National Postgraduate College Graduates 480

By Chioma Obinna

The Federal Government has unveiled caller backing plans and grooming reforms aimed astatine strengthening postgraduate aesculapian acquisition and curbing the exodus of wellness professionals from Nigeria.

Speaking connected Thursday astatine the 43rd Convocation Ceremony of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) successful Lagos, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammad Ali Pate, said authorities was adopting a phased attack to code the challenges facing residency and specializer training.

Represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr. Jimoh Saludeen, Pate said postgraduate grooming remained captious to gathering a resilient wellness system. “Without a beardown and well-trained workforce, nary wellness strategy tin thrive. This makes the relation of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria perfectly indispensable,” helium noted.

The Minister listed precedence interventions including: Special backing to accelerate specializer training, Measures to trim encephalon drain, Access to TETFund enactment arsenic the nation’s apex postgraduate aesculapian acquisition institution, Increased budgetary allocation for residency programmes, and Expansion of College activities crossed the six geopolitical zones.

He besides assured that authorities was committed to completing cardinal infrastructural projects astatine the College office successful Ijanikin, Lagos, including the Senate Building and a National Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre. Plans are besides underway to get an Abuja bureau to fortify the College’s nationalist footprint.

Other measures see approving waivers for the recruitment of Fellows arsenic Deputy and Assistant Registrars, providing dedicated probe funding, and investing successful modern simulation equipment.

Congratulating the 480 graduates of the College—including Fellows, MD awardees, and honourees—the Minister urged them to beryllium “worthy ambassadors” of some the College and Nigeria. “Our discussions and policies indispensable construe into enactment that volition trim encephalon drain, fortify specializer training, and yet present a much resilient, responsive, and people-centred wellness system,” helium said.

Delivering the convocation lecture titled “A Pandemic, Examinations and a Degree,” Prof. Solomon Kadiri reflected connected however the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted aesculapian training, spurred online learning, and shaped reforms successful postgraduate education. He highlighted cardinal innovations specified arsenic standard-setting successful examinations and the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme, which has already produced much than 400 graduates.

Kadiri warned that though the COVID-19 microorganism appears weakened, vigilance remains indispensable owed to imaginable semipermanent effects.

In his invited address, NPMCN President, Dr. Peter Ebeigbe, noted that portion encephalon drain continues to impact fellowship enrolment, numbers are showing signs of stabilisation. Records amusement awards peaked astatine 459 successful 2020, dropped to 310 successful 2021, roseate to 407 successful 2023, but fell again to 338 successful 2024 earlier the existent year’s rebound to 480.

He stressed that contempt challenges, the College has continued to grow grooming programmes crossed 16 faculties and to honour distinguished Fellows, including Dr. Sebastian Ndulue Nwosu, Dr. Dilli Dogo, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeanolue, and Dr. Fatiu Abiola Arogundade.

The station Brain Drain: FG rolls retired funding, grooming reforms to clasp aesculapian experts appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.