Kogi State governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has approved the sum of N300,000 as monthly allowance for medical doctors serving with the government-owned hospitals in the State, to motivate them to stay on the job and curb brain drain, otherwise known as Japa syndrome.

The governor announced the new package at the launch of Access to Health Care for 76,000 local government civil servants, pensioners and students of tertiary institution, held at the Lugard House, Lokoja, on Monday.

Breakdown of the beneficiaries includes; 28,056 enrollees under the public sector plan for local government civil servants, 3,427 enrollees under the pension contributory health insurance plan and 44,760 students under the tertiary institution health insurance programme.

Ododo said that the additional renumeration has become necessary to discourage mass exodus of medical doctors to other countries of the world in search of greener pastures.

He expressed concern over the alarming rate of brain drain of medical personnel generally in the wake of poor salaries and welfare packages currently being experienced in Nigeria and vowed that his administration was ready to tackle the problem headlong.

“The Japa syndrome is negatively affecting our health service delivery and my administration would not relent stopping the development through provision of necessary comfort for our medical personnel to function effectively,” Ododo assured

The governor during the flag-off also gave an assurance that his administration would not relent in providing opportunities that would guarantee citizens’ access to quality healthcare.

The governor said that Kogi was proud to join the global health insurance scheme to protect the health of the poor and admonished citizens to avail themselves of the opportunity by registering now as individuals, families and groups with Kogi State Health Insurance Agency.

The governor further announced that, “Pensioners earning below N50,000 would enjoy free health insurance, those receiving above N50,00 monthly will contribute N6.50 and those earning N100,000 and above will make insurance contribution of N1,250.00 to ease their burden.”

The governor directed all members of the State Executive Council to adopt enrollment of 50 persons each into the health insurance, Special Advisers and Chief Executive Officers of Agencies are also to adopt enrollment of 20 people each, and Senior Special Assistants to adopt five.

He equally directed the Executive Secretary of Kogi State Health Insurance Agency to compile list of compliance and forward to him within three months.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Aledare Adekunle, had commended the establishment of the scheme by the immediate-past Governor Yahaya Bello and its sustainance by the incumbent Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.

He said that the scheme would no doubt go a long way in improving life expectancy and premature deaths.

The director-general and Chief Executive Officer of National Health Insurance Authority, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, who spoke through his North-Central Coordinator, Alhaji Adamu Abdullahi, at the event, commended Ododo’s leadership initiative to key into the global health insurance scheme

The director-general said that the effort would certainly ensure that healthcare services were achievable in Nigeria

“Government intervention in the area of healthcare services is highly desirable and a welcome development that would raise the health standard of citizens

“Our concern is the sustainability of the scheme through technical support and policy direction by government at all levels,” he stated.

The Kogi State’s Commissioner of Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, in his speech, hailed Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s political commitment to achieve the universal health coverage in all parts of the state

“We are fortunate to have Ododo who has given topmost priority to health,” the commissioner affirmed.

The highpoint of the event was the commissioning of two additional Toyota Hilux operational vehicles.