The Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Prof. Azubuike Onyebuchi, has explained that his management has adopted some survival strategies to cope with the exodus of professional medical/clinical staff, who use study leave, leave of absence with/without pay, among other reasons, as ploys to relocate abroad in search of greener pastures.
Onyebuchi said that the FMC management granted such leave to staff members because it is allowed in civil service, lamenting, however, that many who received such approvals do not return to the hospital “even when their names are still in nominal roll.”
According to Onyebuchi, the FMC has not replaced these absentee staffers because it is assumed that they are still in service.
“They cannot be replaced as long as their names are in the staff list. They are supposed to return to the FMC or resign or retire. And unless they exit, their names would continue to be captured in our staff nominal roll and thus would not create the room for us to employee new people.”
“We need them to out of our nominal roll so that when we present our demand for their replacement, the Federal Government will see the deficiencies in their areas, and consider giving us appropriate leeway to replace them.”
He said that all categories of staff are involved in the mass exodus from the system, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists.
He said his management is banking on the Federal Government’s directive to the Ministries of Education and Health to liaise with their agencies and replace their staff on their approved personnel budget.
He said the FMC has terminated the appointments of some of the missing staff, who refused to return to work, resign or retire, in line with civil service stipulations.
