Former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili, has called on the Tinubu-led Federal Government to review the salary of Nigerian medical doctors and pay serious attention to their training.

Odili made the appeal at the Induction/Oath-taking of 65 newly graduated medical doctors from PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Port Harcourt Rivers State, on Monday.

The former state governor, who is the founder and Pro-Chancellor, as well as Chairman of the Governing Board of the institution, said upward review of their remuneration would reduce brain drain witnessed in the health sector.

He disclosed that PUMS has produced over 330 healthcare professionals in less than eight years of existence, adding that if other institutions across the country could move at the same pace, the country would have enough medical practitioners and will not be affected by unprecedented exodus abroad for greener pastures.

Odili thanked President Tinubu through the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Professor Fatima Kyari, for his bold step in the health sector.

He said: “Let me use this opportunity, Madam Registrar, as the contact, to thank Mr. President for his broad initiative in the health sector. We congratulate him and we urge him to pay very special attention to the training of health professionals because they hold the key to national health. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation.

“We must be healthy first before the wealth. So, congratulate him (Tinubu) and urge the Federal Government to invest more and also look at the review of the remuneration of health workers. That way, we would be killing two birds with a stone.”

Odili continued: “It gives us immeasurable pleasure and gratitude to Almighty God for the progress PUMS has recorded in less than eight years of existence.

“Today, we are inducting the third set of doctors. And PUMS in this short period of existence, has added not less than 330 healthcare professionals. You can imagine what would happen when all the other schools across the country, move at the pace PUMS is moving. Nobody will worry about who moves, running away with japa or whatever they call it, looking for greener pastures.”

The pro-chancellor, however, thanked Rivers State government for initiating a scholarship scheme for the indigenes studying medical sciences in the university and charged other state governments across the country, to emulate the Rivers government and provide a platform for their indigenes to achieve their career dreams in the medical sciences.

He commended: “So, let me use this opportunity to thank the Rivers State government, especially the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for the initiative and sustenance of the scholarships for students who are indigenes.

“We urge other states to copy the Rivers State government, because at the end of it, you would have laid the foundation for good health across the country.”

Inducting the graduates into MCDN, the Registrar/CEO, Professor Kyari, charged them to be good ambassadors of the institution and the council.

She advised them to see their field of career as a calling and not a profession, warning that any person who indulges in any unwholesome practice would be sanctioned accordingly by the council.

Professor Kyari further warned the inductees not to hinge their practice on the trending artificial intelligence (A.I.), but on empathy with human feelings. (The Sun)

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