The minister says he was surprised that some doctors wanted to leave Nigeria without visas.
Health-Minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire advises Nigerian doctors to stay in their country. (Guardian)
Dr Osagie Ehanire has advised Nigerian doctors seeking to relocate to the United Kingdom to stay in Nigeria, saying the UK government won’t give them the hazard allowance they get in Nigeria.
The minister said this on Thursday, July 16, 2020, during the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19.
Ehanire said this while responding to a question regarding the 58 doctors, who were recently prevented from flying to the UK by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
He said he was surprised that the doctors wanted to leave the country without visas.
“I think we are one of the few countries giving hazard allowance. This UK where they are going, there is no hazard allowance, they don’t give doctors hazard allowance but you just get your salary, that is all because I have spoken to the doctors there.
“They say it is part of your job and that is what you are trained for. They don’t pay you anything but here apart from your salary we try to add something to it with the hope that you will stay. We also appeal to state governments to prioritise the employment of doctors some of whom have not been employed,” he said.
Ehanire maintained that emigration of doctors is not peculiar to Nigeria. He said he was informed that doctors were also leaving the UK for another country.
“Even in the UK they are losing doctors to other countries so they think there is a movement but I think we have to look at our own situation the best way we can,” he said.
The minister, however, stated that Nigeria would not stop doctors, who want to leave the country from emigrating but they must have visas.
He said, “With regards the 58 doctors, we were all surprised to hear that they were at the airport and it was irregular in that many of them did not have visas. I don’t know what evidence you have whether they have left the country but no one should leave the country without visa.”
Source: Pulse Nigeria
