Teaching Hospital Returns N1bn Salaries Of ‘Japa’ Workers To FG
The management of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) has returned over N1 billion to the federal government representing unpaid staff salaries.
The money was returned from the 2024 budget of the UUTH for because medical staff for whom the salaries were meant for had left their jobs to seek greener pastures abroad.
Narrating the crushing effects of Japa on the teaching hospital, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UUTH, Prof Emem Bassey, said the nation’s teaching hospitals might lose their qualified medical staff to Japa if the federal government failed to address the situation.
Prof Bassey spoke in Abuja on Tuesday while defending the budget of the UUTH before the House of Representatives committee on tertiary health institutions.
He said, “For 2024, our total capital appropriation was N20,617,154,692.56, broken down into personnel costs of N12,874,350,949.56¦ overhead of N240,186,681.00 (about N20 million monthly); and capital expenses of N7,502,617,062.00. Personnel releases totaled N11,818,316,556.72; leaving a balance of N1,056,034,392.80, which was mopped up by December 31 due to unfulfilled recruitment.”
Bassey disclosed that UUTH achieved 99 percent release of overhead funds but faced delays in implementing a radio diagnostics centre project due to delay by the Federal Executive Council.
The CMD added that the UUTH has a proposed budget of N19. 93 billion overhead cost and N21 billion for capital for 2025 fiscal year.
Other CMDs at the hearing included Prof Wasiu Adeyemo (Lagos University Teaching Hospital) and Prof. Jesse Abiodun (University College Hospital, Ibadan) and others.
The CMDs were unanimous in raising the alarm that the hospitals risked being crippled as health professionals keep quitting and leaving the country in droves.
Citing poor remuneration and lack of incentives as reason for the exodus, they listed doctors and nurses as leading the exodus.
The CMDs called on the federal government to urgently improve remuneration for health workers to curb the brain drain, warning that Nigerian hospitals could soon be empty if the trend continued.
“The primary reason workers are leaving is economic. We witness resignations every day. If this continues unchecked, our hospitals may become empty in the next one or two years. While the government invests in infrastructure, hospitals remain empty due to lack of staff,” UCH’s Adeyemo said.
Chairman of the House Committee on Health Institutions, Rep Patrick Umoh, described the situation in tertiary health institutions as alarming.
He urged the institutions on fiscal responsibility and pledged the committee’s commitment to ensuring that available funds are properly utilised.
Teaching Hospital Returns N1bn Salaries Of ‘Japa’ Workers To FG is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
