The Abia State Government claims that it has discovered that some doctors who left the state to pursue “Japa,” or better opportunities abroad, are still on its payroll.
At the inaugural Abia State Council on Health meeting on Thursday at the International Conference Center in Umuahia, the state capital, Governor Alex Otti revealed this.
Speaking on the topic of “Providing an Accessible, Affordable and Quality Healthcare System for the New Abia,” Otti claimed that even though these doctors have left Abia’s employment and are now employed overseas, they are still receiving salary payments from the state.
“Furthermore, our ongoing digitalization of the Abia State civil service has uncovered some staff that have left their duty post for greener pastures, yet still receive remuneration from the State government,” he said.
“The important thing here is that we do not have the number of hands that were hitter to report, even though the relevant government agencies will address the criminality involved in this. We are exerting great effort to close these gaps.
The governor went on to say that in order to bolster the healthcare industry, his administration would hire more medical professionals.
According to Otti, his administration is bolstering primary healthcare and making sure that medical facilities are staffed by state-wide employees.
The Permanent Secretary of the Abia State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ifenyinwa Uma-Kalu, spoke on behalf of the Minister of Health, who emphasized the importance of state governments supporting the federal government by supplying the infrastructure required for the health care system.
The State Health Commissioner, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo In her speech, she highlighted the establishment of the first State Council on Health as evidence of Governor Alex Otti’s administration’s dedication to putting developmental projects first. These projects have the potential to harness Abia’s strategic human capital and accelerate the socioeconomic development of the current administration.
According to Okoronkwo, the administration’s priority is to provide Abians with a health system that caters to their needs regardless of their socioeconomic background. This will, he said, put Abia on the path to achieving universal health coverage for all.
