TheCable

Isah Adagiri, chief medical director (CMD), Kogi Specialist Hospital, says new doctors are hard to come by these days. 

Adagiri spoke on Wednesday during the 2024 budget appraisal and projection at the Kogi house of assembly in Lokoja, the state capital.

He said despite Yahaya Bello’s approval to the management of the specialist hospital to replace any medical doctor who leaves the service, the doctors are not forthcoming.

“Many doctors have migrated, and despite our willingness to replace them by employing new ones, they are nowhere to be found,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“It’s no longer news that a lot of doctors are moving out of the country in droves for greener pastures, a situation which is negatively telling on our services as a hospital.

“There are lots of disadvantages in the crave for greener pastures by these doctors, who do all they can to earn every kobo being paid them.

“But because of patriotism, someone like me can’t imagine myself leaving the service to work out of the country.”

The CMD said with better welfare packages, the government could discourage and stop the ‘Japa’ syndrome and allow for excellent healthcare delivery in hospitals.

“For us in specialist hospital, we always liaised with you, the house committee on health and social services, to get better welfare packages for our doctors,” he said.

“I believe that better pay to our doctors will stop the syndrome and improve our service to residents of Kogi.”

Speaking with journalists after the budget appraisal, Ayo Olayemi, chief medical director of the state hospital management board, appealed for approval for the recruitment of health personnel in the newly built hospitals across the state.

“Our major proposal for the year 2024 is our resolve to maintain all the medical facilities made available by governor Bello, hence the need to renovate some of the hospitals yet untouched,” he said.