Over N1 billion in unpaid staff salaries have been returned to the federal government by the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) administration. Since the medical professionals for whom the payments were intended had quit their employment in search of better opportunities elsewhere, the funds were taken back from the UUTH’s 2024 budget.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Prof. Emem Bassey, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UUTH, described the devastating consequences of Japan on the teaching hospital and warned that if the federal government did not take action, the country’s teaching hospitals might lose their skilled medical personnel to Japan. Speaking to the House of Representatives’ tertiary health institutions committee on Tuesday, Prof. Bassey defended the UUTH’s budget in Abuja.
“Our total capital appropriation for 2024 was N20,617,154,692.56, which was divided into N7,502,617,062.00 for capital expenses and N12,874,350,949.56 for personnel costs and overhead of N240,186,681.00 (roughly N20 million per month),” he stated. Due to unmet recruitment, the remaining N1,056,034,392.80 was mopped up by December 31 after personnel releases totaling N11,818,316,556.72.
Bassey revealed that although UUTH had released 99 percent of its overhead money, the Federal Executive Council had delayed the implementation of a project for a radio diagnostics center. The CMD also mentioned that the UUTH’s proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025 is N21 billion for capital and N19.93 billion for overhead costs.
Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo from Lagos University Teaching Hospital and Prof. Jesse Abiodun from University College Hospital in Ibadan were among the other CMDs present at the hearing.
As medical personnel continue to leave the country in large numbers, the CMDs all expressed concern that the hospitals could become paralyzed. They identified physicians and nurses as the main emigration leaders, citing low pay and a lack of incentives as the cause.
In order to stop the brain drain, the CMDs urged the federal government to immediately increase health professionals’ pay, stating that if the trend persisted, Nigerian hospitals might soon be vacant.
“The economy is the main factor causing workers to depart. We see resignations on a daily basis. Our hospitals might be vacant in the next year or two if this keeps going unchallenged. Hospitals are left unstaffed despite government investments in infrastructure, according to Adeyemo of UCH.
Rep. Patrick Umoh, the chairman of the House Committee on Health Institutions, called the state of affairs in tertiary healthcare facilities concerning. He called on the institutions to exercise fiscal restraint and promised the committee’s dedication to making sure the existing funds are used appropriately.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
