Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon. Maria Edeko, says there is nothing wrong in the migration of medical personnel to seek greener pastures in foreign countries.
Edeko, representing Esan North-East 11 Constituency in the House, made the remark when the Association of Resident Doctors, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) paid her a courtesy visit in Benin City.
She also called on Nigerian students to be wary of the student loan being offered so as not to entrap themselves.
Edeko, who stated that the earnings from diaspora would be good for the growth of the nation’s economy, said she was worried when some persons were proposing to restrain young doctors from leaving the country.
According to her, a country must be known for something. What we can do as a nation is to treat the children well and properly equip and strengthen our institutions to function optimally.
“We can choose to open different schools of nursing and medical schools that are well funded with best resource persons to teach our children. Nigeria will be known for exporting qualified manpower, medical doctors, nurses and others, we have the population.
“All we have done over the years from when we were agrarian country to now that we have discovered oil is to be exporting raw materials. They could not refine cocoa, groundnuts and crude oil.
“Now that we have skilled children that want to go out for greener pastures, somebody is complaining,” Edeko said.
The Deputy Speaker further stated that, it was wrong to stop parents from sending their children abroad to work after they had spent a lot of money to train them.
She said, “Parents cannot struggle to train their children and you tell them that they do not have the right to leave the shores of this country.”
On his part, Chairman, House Committee on Health and member representing Oredo West, Hon. Dr. Richard Osaro, said the state was working on over 500 primary health centres and the plan was to ensure that at least 250 of the health centres were working well.
Hon. Osaro went further to say that if the health centres were functioning well, they would be able to take care of the health needs of the people, provide jobs and improve the economy of the state.
Also speaking, the member representing Igueben State Constituency, Hon. Eugene Inegbebor, urged the doctors to give their best to the country, stressing the need for doctors to make personal sacrifices for the country to make the country a better place.
Earlier, the president, National Association of Resident Doctors, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Dr. David Orhewere said the visit was to inform the Deputy Speaker of the 46th anniversary of the association in the state.
He equally listed various activities lined up for the anniversary to include awards and free medical outreach to be extended to the constituency of the Deputy Speaker, among others
