From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government has reminded young Medical Doctors seeking greener pastures abroad, that it is not a bed of roses out there and that Nigerian government has done a lot for them for sponsoring their education.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, gave the warning in an audience with the Nigerian Medical Associations (NMA), advising them to ensure that young resident doctors are counselled, as a panacea to the perennial brain drain occasioned by them seeking greener pastures abroad.
According to a statement by Deputy Director, Communications, Mohammed Ahmed, she expressed concern that the rate at which resident doctors travel abroad to practice without serving the country, stating that the Nigerian Medical Association is a good platform to counsel them. She added that Nigerian Doctors, abroad, are underpriced, when compared to their counterparts from other countries due to their large numbers.
While responding to their demands of increased hazard allowances, Yemi-Esan, enjoined them to be reasonable and enquired if the Resident Doctors, who are in public corporations are also doing hazardous work. She added that government has done a lot for them, cautioning that they should be considerate in their demands, having in mind dwindling government revenue and, most importantly, value addition to the polity.
Earlier, the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Uche Rowland Ojinmah, commended the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan for her reformative contributions in positively repositioning the Federal Civil Service for greater performance and national economic growth.