The Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced waivers in hospitals to streamline the recruitment of health workers, aiming to enhance healthcare delivery.
During an official visit to the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, the Minister of Health for State, Dr. Tunji Alausa, revealed that medical directors would now receive waivers for employment starting in 2024. The Federal Ministry of Health is establishing a waiver committee that will oversee this process for all hospitals.
“The president saw the need and gave the approval for us to start it in the ministry. Each institution will generate the number of workers it needs, and there will be some checks and balances based on the budget.”
Alausa emphasised the importance of accountability in healthcare delivery, assuring that hospitals would be expected to justify their workforce needs transparently, “We expect hospitals to account for their adequate, effective healthcare delivery, we will ensure that hospitals maintain the number being given to them to recruit because there will be full transparency.
The newly formed waiver committee is tasked with promptly addressing waiver requests, minimising delays in the review process. “The waiver committee will meet to address waiver requests, there won’t be any delay in the review, as the process has started now,” Alausa said.
Addressing UCH’s challenges, Alausa pledged that the government and the ministry would assess and address the hospital’s concerns. He suggested exploring alternative power sources, such as solar energy, to mitigate the issues of inadequate power supply. Additionally, he encouraged UCH to focus on training more health specialists to meet current and future healthcare demands.
Commending UCH for its efforts, Alausa acknowledged the challenges faced by the hospital, including power cuts, high diesel costs, and insufficient water supply. However, he expressed confidence in the government’s commitment to advancing the healthcare sector.
UCH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, outlined some of the special surgical procedures being undertaken at the hospital. Despite the hospital’s achievements, Otegbayo stressed its ambition to attain higher standards. Challenges such as power cuts, diesel costs, and water supply inadequacies were acknowledged, emphasising the hospital’s determination to overcome these obstacles and contribute further to Nigeria’s healthcare development.