To engage Nigerian medical doctors, pharmacists, medical academics and other health sector professionals from the Diaspora, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday it needs N234, 620,402 from the 2020 Budget for the purpose.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, stated this while defending the Diaspora-related parts of the budget of the ministry before the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had conceptualised the framework for the Ministry of Health, to engage Nigerian health professionals resident abroad.

The minister while giving a breakdown of the budget for 2020, told the Committee that N173,020,401 would be used for the “establishment and operationalization of Diaspora Professional Healthcare Initiative, provision of logistics and implementation of Diaspora Professional Healthcare activities.”

A total sum of N24million was also listed for “Participation of Federal Ministry of Health’s delegation at the Annual Scientific Sessions and Trainings of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA), Medical Association of Nigerian Specialists Across Great Britain(MANSAG), Canadian Association of Nigerian Physicians and Dentists(CANPAD), Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association in the United Kingdom (NNCA-UK), Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA) and International Conferences on Public-Private Partnership for Supportive Capacity Building.” (Sunday Vanguard)

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