…Unveils Plan to Rebuild Confidence and prevent Human Capital Migration in Nigeria

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, has stressed the need for heightened surveillance at the borders to counter the looming threat of a Covid-19 subvariant.

The Health Minister who spoke in an exclusive interview with our Correspondent, Raliat Adenekan shortly after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, as the holiday winds down and students are returning back to classrooms, passionately urged Nigerians to fortify themselves against a spectrum of diseases, not just those originating from outside the shores of Nigeria.

Dr Pate, highlighting the importance of comprehensive vaccination, again assured the public of the safety of vaccines, while also emphasizing the need to remain vigilant against other preventable diseases.

“The Nigerian Centres for Disease Control, has actively strengthened surveillance capacity to track cases of infections that are coming into the country but also all types of infectious diseases to our health security at this moment. There is no confirmation that the Covid-19 variant of concern is in the country. But the surveillance effort is on the way. Health Security is an important plan of what the health ministry together with the Centre for Disease Control, is going to be focusing on to ensure that infectious diseases are not brought from outside or when they come in very early before they spread too far in the country.”

Speaking on the domestic brain drain in schools and dwindling skilled professionals within the country due to human capital migration, he vowed to instill trust and transparency in governance to entice Nigerian Medical expatriates back home, promising a conducive environment for their return.

“For those skilled professionals who have traveled out, we will work towards ensuring that they feel confident enough to come back and contribute to our national development. In the health sector. We would work towards building trust between actors so that on both sides, we understand that industrial harmony is key to our improvement of health in this country”.

Dr. Pate also underlined the significance of industrial harmony as a key to a healthy society, while acknowledging the importance of mending relationships between health sector actors and unions, asserting that unity is the cornerstone of a robust healthcare system.