Governor Alex Otti of Abia has called for harsh punishment for healthcare personnel who endanger citizens’ lives through stealing of supplies and fraud in the guise of poor remuneration.

Mr Otti said poor remuneration should not be an excuse for any professional healthcare worker to endanger citizens’ lives through fraud and stealing of supplies.

He disclosed this during the 2024 Abia Physicians Week opening ceremony at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.

Mr Otti said there was a need to stop corruption and strike action in the healthcare sector because they are against physicians’ oaths and endanger lives.

He said Nigeria needed to extract some compensation from countries taking away Nigerian doctors to discourage the trend.

The governor suggested that such funds should be used to improve health facilities in the country.

The event’s chairman, Azikiwe Ikeorha, said doctors are soldiers in the fight against terrible diseases; hence, they need to take better care of themselves to be able to do their jobs.

He wished the government could improve healthcare workers’ salary structures like those in the legal profession.

The Abia Commissioner for Health and the keynote speaker, Ogbonnaya Uche, said the 2024 theme about remuneration is apt and addresses a germane issue in medical practice.

He said poor remuneration, insecurity, and lack of medical facilities had helped brain drain, noting that it has reduced Abia’s doctors to 750, with 450 working with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia.

Mr Uche said the issues fuelling the brain drain must be addressed to stop the unfavourable trend.

He said Mr Otti had started attending to issues causing brain drain by paying accumulated salary arrears and ordering implementation of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

(NAN)