Dr. Pokop Bupwatda, Chief Medical Director of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), expresses deep concern over the alarming decrease in medical personnel within the institution. Bupwatda reveals a disconcerting trend of receiving resignation letters from healthcare professionals seeking opportunities abroad every week.
Citing both pull and push factors, Bupwatda emphasizes the urgent need to fill vacant positions at JUTH for effective service delivery. He underscores challenges such as obsolete equipment, inadequate tools, and unreliable power supply as issues being addressed by stakeholders.
Highlighting the pursuit of excellence at JUTH, Bupwatda points out the constraints faced due to outdated equipment and the inability to acquire state-of-the-art replacements in the current limited setting. He notes that a lack of job satisfaction, poor working environments, and the rising cost of living contribute to the staff resignations.
The Chief Medical Director outlines the push factors, including strikes and industrial disharmony, making the working environment hostile. He also mentions the resource-limited setting hindering healthcare professionals from fully implementing their skills. The allure of better-equipped settings, job satisfaction, and improved living conditions abroad, often backed by better pay and opportunities, prompts many to seek employment outside Nigeria.
As JUTH grapples with these challenges, the call for immediate action to address staffing shortages and improve working conditions becomes crucial to sustaining effective healthcare services within the institution.
