Doing the impossible in Ekiti’s public healthcare sector

BY JOSHUA OPANIKE

A few days ago, the governor of Ekiti state, His Excellency, Bisi Oyebamiji reemphasised an initiative that was initially reported in the press months ago on plans by the Ekiti state caucus of the national assembly led by senate leader Opeyemi Bamidele to take up the payment of salaries of health workers scheduled for recruitment into the recently constructed health centres by the state government. These steps represent a series of necessary interventions in improving access to quality healthcare in the state and the announcement of the plan was expected to attract accolades for the ‘ingenuity’ of the current crop of leaders in the south-western state.

This is coming at the heels of the federal minister for health’s troubling assertion that 16,000 medical doctors at different cadres of practice emigrated from the country in the last five years. The reality of such a massive exodus is that the country needs to produce more than 3,000 doctors each year for the next five years.

But those are just newly qualified doctors. It will take another 5-7 years to train a competent specialist in the average speciality. It can be up to 10 years in more intricate specialities. Invariably, remedying these issues will require decades in order to -at most- reverse the situation.

Unfortunately, the federal government does not appear to be willing to address this issue with the urgency it requires. So surely, we must be filled with praise for the leaders in Ekiti state.

Yet, the ordinary citizenry’s response to this initiative is suspicion or perhaps tactful assessment. This is because government leaders have persistently demonstrated unreliability. They are known to embark on projects that only benefit them. Selfless service is alien to Nigeria’s political leadership. One can only wonder if this is not just some sort of political machination to whip up sentiments or serve whatever purpose that may be oblivious to the public.

Furthermore, this plan gives credence to the fact that Nigerian legislators are grossly overpaid. How can a handful of individuals have access to funds enough to take care of the salary of hundreds of workers? In Oyo state, members of staff at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso have not been paid the new minimum wage reportedly approved by the state government because the same state government has refused to increase the subvention to the hospital management. If a state government is unable to meet its financial obligations to its workers, how are a handful of individuals able to do the same?

Although Governor Oyebamiji did not indicate the size of the new workforce or its wage bill, the financial implication for adequate recruitment to fill the spaces is considerable. Truly, the legislators will not be expected to give from their pockets, but from funds accessible to them by virtue of their political positions.

Legislators should not have access to that kind of money. This kind of waste popular in different forms in the government should be curtailed. It would be easily realised that by appropriate housekeeping, funds hitherto unavailable for essential services can be freed. Perhaps instead of individual gestures like this one by Ekiti’s legislators, such funds should be reassigned from the source so the citizens can enjoy public funds and not be at the mercy of political leaders.

Another important consideration is the sustainability of the programme. Since the legislators are not legally bound to continue to pay the salaries of state government employees, they can choose to withdraw at any time and no one can hold them responsible. Therefore, the state government must put up a clear term of engagement.

Who is the employer? Is this a temporary arrangement? If any of the legislators do not make it in the next election cycle, will his successor sustain support for the initiative? Those seeking employment should also carefully consider the terms of engagement to avoid stories that touch later on.

Such collaboration by political leaders across tiers and arms of government is desirable at a time like this. Yet, the role of the Ekiti national assembly caucus in this scheme must not be cast in stone. This is an initiative that can yield results if properly put together. However, it is expedient to reform government spending and assess funding by political leaders. This will help plug unnecessary wastage and ensure the availability of funds hitherto unaccountable for.

Joshua Opanike, a medical doctor in south-west Nigeria, can be contacted via [email protected]