The Diaspora Professional Health Initiative (DPHI) has
accused the federal government of frustrating its efforts to improve healthcare
in the country.
The association comprise of Nigerian medical practitioners
who are based in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, South
Africa, among others.
TheCable reports that a member of the association, who did not want to be named, said that those in DPHI were inspired by other professionals from the
African continent, especially Ethiopians, who are now being supported by the
Medical school of University of Toronto, Canada, to create more solutions in
their country.
He said for three years, they worked on strategies they
could use in sharing skills with their counterparts back home but the Nigerian
government turned its back against them just when they were about implementing
their ideas.
The doctor said at an event to discuss the project in
Washington, in 2019, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in
Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), had described the idea as “a win-win situation
for both sides, and ultimately for our country.”
The doctors’ hopes were, however, dashed in January when
Osagie Ehanire, the health minister, wrote to inform them that the project,
scheduled to kick off on 27th of that month, had been “suspended till further
notice”.
The source said in preparation for the January 27 kick off,
“27 physicians and nurses in oncology neurology nephrology and ophthalmology
had bought tickets and volunteered to be in Abuja last week for the pilot phase
of the DPHI that we have spent the last three years fleshing out with the
ministry of health.”
“I am aware the Federal Ministry of Health has been in
cordial partnership with your associations to develop and improve Healthcare
delivery services in Nigeria. I use this opportunity to express my delight, and
appreciation of your various collective and individual contributions to the
Health sector of your country,” Ehanire wrote in his letter dated January 20.
“I wish to also commend all your contributions and
enthusiasm for the launch of the pilot programme of the brand new ‘Diaspora
Professionals Healthcare initiative.’ It is a laudable Idea which has been
embraced by the Ministry of Health.
“However, I regret that due to salient circumstances around
programme design and preparation, this initiative, scheduled to be launched on
the 27th January, 2020 had to be abrogated and deferred till further notice.
This will give us time for more detailed preparation to broaden and deepen the
scope of your engagement and magnify the value to your service to country and
people.”
Ehanire told DPHI members that the project would be
redesigned “for far more impactful and beneficial delivery of service and
utilisation of knowledge and skills, better ‘ownership’ and appreciation by all
stakeholders.”
But another doctor told TheCable that the project is “as
good as dead” because of the role played by government.
“When you hear something like ‘put on hold till further
notice’ in Nigeria, just know that, that project is as good as dead,” he said.
“We spent about three years doing meetings physically and
virtually aimed at skills transfer between Nigerian physicians in diaspora and
those back home.
“Of about 80,000 registered physicians with the medical
council in Nigeria, 45,000 are now outside of Nigeria. The basic minimum of
informing the professionals in Nigeria and putting required materials in place
in Nigeria, they did not do and yet they set the date and we sought for and
told our initial batch of volunteers to buy air tickets. Then, abrupt
cancellation of the programme or postponement till whenever. Three years of
planning!”
Ehanire did not answer calls placed to his telephone and
also failed to respond to a text message, seeking his reaction on the matter.
Dabiri-Erewa did not also respond to inquiries on the issue.
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