The Health Minister has announced a new policy prohibiting health workers from taking leave of absence and has also revealed plans to recruit 120,000 additional nurses.
The government has put a rule in place that says healthcare workers can’t take time off if they want to work abroad.
Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health, shared on Saturday in Abeokuta that if health workers want to go abroad for better opportunities, they have to quit their jobs first before they can leave.
During his visit to the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Aro, the Minister talked about how President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order addresses brain drain in the health sector, also known as ‘Japa Syndrome’.
In addition, he mentioned that the yearly number of nurses joining has increased significantly from about 28,000 to 68,000 and is projected to reach 120,000 by the end of the year.
