Stakeholders in the health sector have urged governorship candidates in Lagos State to consider healthcare delivery system and address challenges that encourage medical personnel to leave Nigeria for greener pastures if they win.Stakeholders in the health sector have urged governorship candidates in Lagos State to consider healthcare delivery system and address challenges that encourage medical personnel to leave Nigeria for greener pastures if they win.
The forum was also organised to deepen the understanding of the political class and other stakeholders on the health security gaps and acquaint them with available strategic policy options for strengthening health and health security. He said: “It saddens me to say that we lost 1,800 doctors to Britain and other countries as at December 2022. This has crossed alarming levels and we need to ask how these candidates plan to make healthcare workers remain in the country, earn fair pay and have a better working condition. The brain drain is alarming, skilled workers are leaving Nigeria for other countries everyday for greener pastures and it’s worrying.
“The system is broken and needs urgent reform. We need to retain our health workers still left in Nigeria and treat them better. Over 70 per cent of Nigerians still use private healthcare and we’re doing the best we can without government support of any kind. Health is a social capital and government alone cannot fund the sector, but it can’t be totally commercialised. To this end, we need to put in place policies and laws that will bring funds into the sector.