From Olanrewaju Lawal Birnin Kebbi
The Provost, Kebbi State College of Nursing and Sciences (KBCONS) Nr. Mohammed Murtala Musa has sought for huge investment in the training institutions by government and philanthropists to enhance health workers production and bridged their shortage in the country.
Musa stated this while delivering a lecture at the College on the human resources for health status in Kebbi State: challenges in health workers production and the needs for more investment.
The Provost, who illustrated how best Doctors, Nurses, migrate to foreign countries in searching for greener pastures,noted that lack of social support in the working environment contributed alot to the brain drain in Nigeria.
“Similarly,policies implemented by the State are not aligned with the factors that influence Nurse Tutors attraction and retention. Furthermore,lack of staff accomodations, poor remuneration,work overload are part of the factors affecting staffs retention leading to brain drain causing shortage of educators in the training institutions and thus, resulting to under production of health workforce.”.
Musa noted that, recruiting the best and brightest personnel have always been a challenge , compelling his college to be retaining their best students as Nurse Educators.
While proffering solution ,Musa said: ” Kebbi State Government, Philanthropists and organisations need to invest heavily in the health training institutions so that there will be massive production of health workers in Kebbi State.
“Academic staffs in Kebbi State health institutions should be supported with bursaries and sponsorship to further their education. The government should consider providing additional instructional learning materials in all the health institutions in the state”.
He added that,many health institutions in the state need more classrooms,utility vehicles,lecture halls, staff offices,hostels for students, stressed that salary structure of the health training institutions should also be reviewed and upgraded to attract more health workers to take teaching job.
