The ongoing exodus of doctors, nurses and other medical personnel from Nigeria to the United Kingdom, United States, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries for greener pastures, commonly known in local palace as "Japa syndrome", is now taking its toll on training of nurses and midwives at the Ogun State College Of Nursing and Midwifery which operates multiple campuses in Abeokuta, the state capital , Ijebu-Ode and Ilaro
The State Chairman of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Roseline Solarin who raised the alarm in an interview with Edu-biznews over the weekend in Abeokuta, also said some of the academic staff at Department of Nursing in the State owned Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye had left to practice outside the country because of better offer and working environment
She called for the urgent attention of Govermor Dapo Abiodun to quickly replace those lecturers who left , if the school of nursing must sustain its academic standard and accreditation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN )
Solarin who lauded the Prince Dapo Abiodun led administration for ensuring accreditation of the academic programmes of the school with provision of necessary medical facilities for the training of the students, expressed concern over the rate at which some of the academic staff are leaving the college, saying government should provide enough incentives through enhancement of their salary package to make them stay back
"We don't have enough lectuerers at the school, government should urgently recruite more academic staff and improve on welfare for medical personnel at various public medical facilities", she urged
"There should be enhanced special salary scale for nurses to retain them in the system, just like the Lagos State Government did
According to Solarin, only Delta, Gombe and Zamfara States are paying the new Hazard Allowance which is between N15,000 and N35,000 depending on the grade levels of personnel as approved by the Federal Government"
She stressed the need to invest more in education of nurses in state and the country at large , saying nurses constitute over 50 percent personnel at the both public and private health facilities
Solarin equally advocated for review of health policies of the Federal Government and other tiers of governance, calling for involvement of nurses in the formulation of policies in the health sector in the country, saying only less than 30 percent is injected into the sector
She also suggested the need for government to always ensure regular meetings with relevant labour leaders on how to address issues affecting workers, including gratuities, salaries and allowances, so as as to ensure industrial harmony within the system
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