Professor Isah Yahaya Adagiri, the Chief Medical Director of Kogi State Specialist Hospital, has expressed concern about the shortage of medical doctors in the state, attributing it to the phenomenon known as ‘Japa syndrome.’
Commending Governor Yahaya Bello for granting standing approval to the hospital’s management to replace any departing medical doctor, Adagiri highlighted the challenge of finding suitable replacements despite the state’s willingness to employ new doctors.
During the 2024 budget defense session at the Kogi State House of Assembly in Lokoja, the CMD acknowledged that many doctors were leaving the country for better opportunities abroad. While acknowledging the financial advantages of such moves, Adagiri emphasized the drawbacks, citing the strenuous efforts required for every remuneration earned.
Expressing his personal commitment to remaining in the country, Adagiri stated that he could not fathom leaving and preferred his final resting place to be in his homeland.
He lamented the recent loss of a doctor from Kogi State Specialist Hospital who sought employment in Dubai, attributing the tragic outcome to the inherent risks of working in a foreign country.
Adagiri disclosed the hospital’s ongoing efforts to collaborate with the House Committee on Health and Social Services to enhance doctors’ welfare packages, stressing the need for improved salaries to curb the ‘Japa syndrome.’