PUNCH
The Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, on Thursday, said the state had uncovered on its payroll some doctors who left the state employment and migrated abroad to seek greener pastures, in what is commonly known as japa.
According to the governor, such doctors are still collecting salaries from the state despite that they have left the state employment and are now working abroad.
Otti made the revelation while speaking at the first Abia State Council on Health at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia with the theme, “Providing an Accessible, Affordable and Quality Healthcare System for the New Abia”.
The governor, while observing that doctors’ emigration had impacted negatively on the state’s health sector, promised to tackle the trend by giving doctors a special welfare package from next year.
He said, “The ‘japa’ syndrome has indeed taken its toll on the health sector; however, this administration is not leaving any stone unturned in addressing this challenge. To this end, the government has resolved to motivate our health care workers through prompt payment of their wages and improvement of welfare packages that we will introduce from 2024…
