The plea comes at a time when the country’s health sector is seeing a significant outflow of professionals, particularly doctors and nurses.

At the plenary on Thursday, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Director-General of the Budget Office, and the Ministry of Health to “urgently grant financial cover as well as a waiver on incidental costs of replacement of resigned and retrenched health workers to the federal medical colleges, federal hospitals as well as teaching hospitals and centers.”

The House also charged its Committee on Healthcare Services with conducting a regular and systematic review of the implementation of the much-needed reforms.

The resolutions came after a member, Uju Kingsley, proposed a motion titled “Need for Replacement of Health Workers who Have Migrated to Other Countries in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Kingsley said, “The House notes the massive exodus of indigenous health workers to other countries in search of greener pastures, especially since the coronavirus pandemic.

“The mass departure and widespread apathy of health workers are mostly predicated on the sub-par remuneration structure offered to them despite being exposed to great risks.

“The House is concerned that the number of COVID-19 cases may become too overwhelming for the current number of medical personnel, thus exposing the country to even greater risk of the spread of the virus.

“The House is cognizant that a radical approach needs to be taken to fill the gap in the health sector through massive recruitment and replacement of health workers as well as an upgrade in the remuneration of workers in the health sector. An effective stakeholders’ engagement of the relevant ministries, departments, and agencies will catalyze effecting the reforms.”