Nigerian doctors in US set to return home

[caption id="attachment_733" align="alignnone" width="67"] 041399ED
JEFF SCHRIER/The Saginaw News
Dr. Chidozie Ononuju, 44, runs his office American Medical Missionary Care, 1104 Janes, as if he is on a medical mission in the United States. He said people tend to think of doing medical missionary work in "poor countries" in Africa or Central America, but he does his work for the poor people of the United States.
Ononuju, who is originally from Owerri, Nigeria, did all his medical studies in the United States and has been in the country for 22 years.[/caption]Nigerian medical practitioners based in the United

States of America under the aegis of the Association

of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas on Tuesday

said they were determined to relocate to the

country if the Federal Government could provide

incentives for them.

The doctors, led by their National President, Nkem

Chukwumerije, stated this in Abuja when their

executive officers paid a courtesy call on the

Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator

Lanre Tejuosho, at the National Assembly complex.

The ANPA members said they were interested in

returning home to help their fatherland but

lamented the government had not done enough to

encourage them.

Chukwumerije listed poor remuneration,

inadequate modern equipment and a lack of low

interest loans for those who want to set up medical

facilities in Nigeria as some of the impediments to

their homecoming.

He said, “The major barrier preventing the

relocation of medical doctors back to Nigeria is

incentive. Every human character and behaviour is

linked to incentives. Some of the incentives to get

back the medical doctors abroad to Nigeria are not in

place.

“Most of us here love our country and our hearts are

in Nigeria but we just have to be physically at

another country. We are very passionate about

improving health care system here but the

incentives, especially remuneration sends people out

and force them to remain abroad.

“Another thing is a lack of proper equipment to work

with. Most people abroad honestly want to come

back. But to physically relocate, we will need the

right financial incentives.

“The Federal Government should provide low

interest loans for health care workers so that

medical practitioners abroad could bring their

money and have access to low interest loans.”

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