This is part of efforts to mitigate the mass exodus of health workers to developed countries, which has led to an acute shortage of health professionals in the nation's health sector.
The Nigerian government has approved the appointment of doctors, nurses, and other clinical healthcare workers as contract staff after attaining their compulsory retirement age or years in service.
This is part of efforts to mitigate the mass exodus of health workers to developed countries, which has led to an acute shortage of health professionals in the nation's health sector.
The approval was contained in a circular dated 5 October and issued by the Federal Ministry of Health.
In the circular, the government directed all chief executive officers of agencies, chief medical directors, medical directors, and heads of regulatory bodies and schools to ensure strict compliance with a previous circular issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to all staff within their respective institutions.
Prior circular
This development follows a prior circular dated 30 August from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
The circular, titled 'Re: Review of retirement age to 65 and 70 years for health professionals and medical/dental consultants,' with reference number HCSF/SPSO/ODD/CND/100/S./145, was addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health.
The circular, signed by Olufemi Oloruntoba, the Permanent Secretary of the Service Policies and Strategies Office, on behalf of the HCSF, expressed the rejection of the proposed increase in retirement age for medical and dental consultants and other health professionals.
It cited several reasons for the rejection including the fact that healthcare professionals were leaving the country not due to their retirement age but primarily because of financial considerations and unfavourable working conditions.
"Some state government had already increased the retirement age of medical doctors and other health workers and this has not addressed the spate of brain drain," it said.
The circular expressed dissatisfaction with the work ethic of healthcare workers, despite the government's efforts to encourage them.
However, in a significant move, the circular also approved that clinical health workers who have reached their compulsory retirement age or years of service may be offered contract appointments.
These contract appointments would be on the same salary scale level that they retired on, provided the healthcare worker desires and deserves it.
Relevant engagements
The circular calls on the government to engage with relevant bodies, such as the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nigerian Medical Association, to secure a commitment from medical doctors.
It also calls for the establishment of an effective performance management system within the public service to enhance the work ethics of medical officers, consultants, and doctors.
"To address the observed dissatisfaction with the attitude of health workers to work, there is a need to institutionalise an effective performance management system in the public service in order to improve the work ethics of the medical officers and consultant, and medical doctors should show more patriotism in the discharge of their duties and avoid holding the system to ransom," the circular also said.
The circular emphasised the importance of medical professionals showing greater patriotism in the discharge of their duties and refraining from actions that could disrupt the healthcare system.
Health workers' exodus
Nigeria's health sector is currently grappling with severe shortage of skilled personnel, resulting from the mass departure of healthcare professionals.
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A 2022 UK immigration report showed that 13,609 Nigerian healthcare workers (including doctors) were granted working visas in the past year, making the country second only to the 42,966 from India.
As of October 2022, the Nigeria Medical Association disclosed that only 24,000 licensed medical doctors were available in the country, lamenting that only one doctor is available to treat 30,000 patients in some southern states, while in the north, it is one doctor to 45,000 patients.
Recently, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, a medical doctor identified as Michael Umoh, died under a circumstance that was blamed on stress by his colleagues.
In September, within the space of five days three senior medical doctors at Alimosho General Hospital (ALGH), Igando, in Lagos, died under what some of their colleagues described as demeaning circumstances.
There have been consistent reports of adverse effects of brain drain across the Nigeria health sector.
