The Nigeria Solidarity Fund (NSSF) has proffered solutions and recommendations to stem the rising brain drain in the nation’s healthcare system.

This is contained in a communique issued by Dr Fejiro Chinye-Nwoko, the General Manager/ Chief Executive Officer, NSSF,  in Lagos at the end of its talk shop on brain drain in the health sector.

The discussion was entitled: “Nigerian Healthcare System and Brain Drain — Step up or Sink”.

NSSF said that the discussion was organised as an advocacy strategy with the aim of highlighting current challenges in human capital flight in the Nigerian health sector, and proffering solutions to same.

The discussion was also a rallying call for individuals and organisations to partner with the NSSF on strengthening the healthcare system in Nigeria.

The communique highlighted the following challenge’s in Nigeria’s healthcare system; poor working conditions stemming from epileptic power supply, dilapidated hospitals, inter-professional rivalry, security challenges exposing doctors to kidnapping and harassment from patients’ relatives.

Others included non-existent training opportunities, delays in payments of salaries lasting as long as 23 months in states such as Abia and Imo; and poor follow through of government policies.

The communique argued that it was difficult to train a doctor today to replace the experience and knowledge of consultants who were leaving the country.

According to the communique, the enumerated factors above are in stack contrast to conditions in the West, where salaries and emoluments are paid in a timely fashion; equipment are available and modern; and general conditions are conducive.

The communique noted that NSSF seeks to address this by identifying and funding high impact solutions in line with government strategies.

The communique further noted that if the recommendations were implemented, brain drain in the nation’s healthcare sector would be a thing of the past.

It said that government should commit to implementing agreed policies such as hazard allowance which took eight months to negotiate and is yet to be implemented.

According to the communique, government should convene roundtable discussions with relevant stakeholders to discuss workable solutions.

“Government should identify data gaps and research agenda and use the information gathered to understand and address brain drain as well as the risks of the health care system completely breaking down.

‘Government should work toward increasing patriotism by meeting the basic needs of the average citizen and creating an enabling environment,” it added.

The communique also called for regular disbursement of Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called on the Kwara State Community and Social Development Agency (KWCSDA NG-CARES) to deploy every resource to end open defecation in the state through the provision of water and VIP toilets in the communities.

The General Manager of KWCSDA NG-CARES, Engineer Amamat Haruna disclosed this during a participatory, rural appraisal visit to the Koro Sayodun community of Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state where efforts are being intensified to end the practice as soon as possible.

“Before now, KWCSDA NG-CARES has intervened in the first batch of five communities while the second batch of four communities is about to be trained and receive their grants for the projects. This is slated for the coming week. We are now in the third batch of 20 beneficiary communities under the NG-CARES intervention project,” she said, hinting at increasing spending on water and toilet facilities in the rural areas.

“Participatory Rural Appraisal exercise is one of the implementation measures of Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme (NG-CARES); we are here today to sensitise and empower your community on how to identify and prioritise your needs, part-finance, implement and supervise your micro-projects by yourselves.”

While congratulating the people of the Koro Sayodun community, Engineer Haruna also appreciated AbdulRazaq for supporting and increasing access to basic amenities in both rural and urban communities across the state.

The General Manager, who was accompanied by the Operations Manager, Engineer Joseph Oyeleke, and Financial Administration Manager, Alhaji Yahaya Ahmed, and others, pledged the readiness of the Agency to meet the needs of rural dwellers in the state through the provision of their ranking needs to improve their living standard.

The leader of the Koro Sayodun community,  Alhaji Ibrahim Amori appreciated the good gesture of the state government through KWCSDA NG-CARES in assisting their community.

“I want to assure you that members of this community will continue to guard jealously the government’s intervention projects when they are eventually implemented in their community,” Alh. Amori pledged.

Five new local government areas have been added to the list of Open Defecation-free (ODF) LGAs in the country.
This brings to 83 the number of LGAs in the country now free from having its populace defecating in the open.

They are; Garki, Kaugama, Miga and Yankwashi in Jigawa, and Aguata LGA in Anambra State.
At the monthly meeting of the National Task Group on Sanitation in Abuja, the members unanimously agreed to declare the five LGAs Open defecation-free, after meeting the criteria in the ODF Protocol.

LN247 gathered that before attaining the ODF status, communities would have eliminated open defecation and imbibed total sanitation practices, which include personal, environmental and domestic hygiene.

The communities would have also had 100 per cent toilet use and increased ownership and sustainability of hygiene and sanitation services.
Chairman of the NTGS, Mr Emmanuel Awe, said the validation exercise was part of the process to monitor and encourage communities on behavioural change in hygiene promotion.

According to him, states must show more commitment in ensuring that more LGAs are open defecation-free and in a sustainable manner.
Giving an overview of the process for the Jigawa LGAs, to be declared open defecation-free, Mr Peters Ojonuba, the Validation Team Lead, said it was impressive to see the commitment of the state in improving access to sanitation.

Ojonuba said no faeces were sighted in the 414 communities, being 20 per cent of the 2,070 communities in the four LGAs.
He said most communities depended on open wells as water source, and drop hole covers were used for latrines, adding that this was supported by the state government through subsidy.

He also commended the commitment of the political class and traditional rulers who sanctioned defaulters of the rule of public defecation.

Mr Chibuike Nwanyanwu, who spoke on Aguata LGA’s efforts towards becoming open defecation-free, said behavioural change evidences were seen in communities building and using their toilets.

Nwanyanwu said communities in the LGA had moved up the sanitation ladder through the use of improved toilets, and called for sustainability of the efforts through constant monitoring.