US BASED NIGERIAN DOCTORS MAKE CASE FOR IMPROVED INCENTIVE TO RETURN HOME

Following the plea from the Nigerian Senate, asking the Nigerian medical practitioners in the diaspora to return home, the doctors have said they were willing to relocate to the country if the Federal Government could provide incentives for them.

The Nigerian medical practitioners based in the United States of America under the aegis of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in America, ANPA, led by their National President, Nkem Chukwumerije, made this known in Abuja when their executive officers paid a courtesy call on the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuosho, at the National Assembly complex on Tuesday.
It would be recalled that the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuosho, made the call earlier on Tuesday at a meeting with members of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in America.

He bemoaned the flight of experienced Nigerian medical practitioners to other countries and appealed to them to return home, stating that Nigeria was in dire need of the wealth of experience of Nigerian medical practitioners in the diaspora.
The ANPA members lamented tate government had not done enough to encourage them, although, they said they were interested in returning home to help their fatherland.
The National president of ANPA, Chukwumerije, said “The Federal Government should provide low interest loans for health care workers so that medical practitioners abroad could bring their money and have access to low interest loans.
“The major barrier preventing the relocation of medical doctors back to Nigeria is incentive. Every human character and behaviour is linked to incentives. Some of the incentives to get back the medical doctors abroad to Nigeria are not in place.

The doctors listed poor remuneration, inadequate modern equipment and lack of low interest loans for those who want to set up medical facilities in Nigeria as some of the impediments to their homecoming.
“Most of us here love our country and our hearts are in Nigeria but we just have to be physically at another country.
“We are very passionate about improving health care system here but the incentives, especially remuneration sends people out and force them to remain abroad.
“Another thing is a lack of proper equipment to work with.
“Most people abroad honestly want to come back; but to physically relocate, we will need the right financial incentives,” they stated.