By Abel Johngold Orheruata
The Delta State Government has approved the extension of the retirement age for skilled clinical health professionals in its public hospitals from 60 to 65 years, while the maximum length of service has been extended from 35 to 40 years, subject to medical fitness and other prescribed conditions.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, disclosed this on Tuesday in Asaba while briefing journalists on developments in the state’s health sector.
Onojaeme said the approval by Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori was primarily aimed at addressing the shortage of experienced manpower in the state’s health facilities, retaining skilled professionals and strengthening healthcare delivery.
According to him, the decision has become necessary in view of the increasing migration of health professionals abroad, popularly known as the “Japa” syndrome, which has continued to put pressure on the available workforce.
“Due to the Japa syndrome, we need to retain our experienced hands so that the low-skilled workforce that we have in the system can be able to retain for the next five years,” the commissioner said.
He explained that the policy would allow qualified and medically fit health professionals who would ordinarily retire at 60 or after 35 years of service to remain in employment for an additional five years.
However, Onojaeme stressed that the extension would not be automatic.
He said eligible officers are required to apply through their respective Chief Medical Directors six months before attaining the age of 60 or completing 35 years in service.
Applicants must also undergo medical screening and obtain a certificate of fitness before their applications can be considered.
The Chief Medical Directors are expected to forward the applications to the Ministry of Health, where they will undergo further screening before final approval by the Commissioner for Health.
Who is covered by the new policy?
Onojaeme said the approval covers skilled clinical health professionals actively engaged in clinical services in government hospitals.
The affected cadres include medical officers, nursing officers, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, physiotherapists, radiographers, optometrists, psychologists, dental officers, dental technologists, dental therapists, dieticians, community health officers, community health technicians, speech therapists, prosthetists and orthotists, optical health technicians, X-ray technicians and other specified clinical professionals.
The commissioner said the policy is specifically targeted at personnel who are directly involved in clinical practice in government hospitals.
He clarified that skilled clinical health professionals working in ministries and extra-ministerial departments are not covered by the extension.
Fitness, not favouritism, will determine eligibility
The Commissioner also dismissed concerns that the implementation committee could use the policy to favour certain workers.
He explained that eligibility would be determined by the prescribed criteria, including medical fitness and the applicant’s ability to continue contributing meaningfully to the health system.
Onojaeme noted that some workers may be managing chronic medical conditions or may have experienced a significant decline in productivity before reaching retirement age.
“You cannot grant those set of workers additional five years when you know fully well that the work output that they will put in and contribution to the system will be very low,” he said.
He assured that the process would be transparent and merit-based.
“It will not. I can assure you that. If you merit it, you’ll get it. If you have your medical certificate of fitness, you will get it.”
He further clarified that the committee responsible for screening would not be responsible for issuing the medical certificate, thereby creating a distinction between the medical fitness assessment and the administrative approval process.
The commissioner said the extension would help stabilise the workforce of the Ministry of Health and the wider public healthcare system by retaining experienced personnel whose skills and institutional knowledge remain valuable to the state.
He pointed out that the state had earlier approved the recruitment of more than 700 clinical and non-clinical health workers as part of efforts to strengthen the health sector.
Despite the recruitment drive, he said the state was yet to fill some critical vacancies, particularly in the area of medical doctors.
“If you have viable doctors who are 60 years and are still fit to carry on for the next five years, it’s a plus to the state,” Onojaeme said.
The commissioner maintained that retaining experienced professionals while simultaneously recruiting new personnel would provide a more sustainable approach to addressing the manpower challenges confronting the state’s public hospitals.
Delta steps up preparedness against Ebola
On the state’s preparedness for a possible outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease, Onojaeme said there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola in Delta State.
He said the Ministry of Health, however, took the reports surrounding a woman who travelled into Nigeria through the Abuja International Airport seriously and immediately convened an emergency meeting to reassess the state’s preparedness.
According to him, the state has intensified advocacy and sensitisation activities, while health workers are being trained on surveillance, identification and appropriate response to suspected cases.
He disclosed that the government is also strengthening surveillance systems and making arrangements for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers who may be involved in the management of suspected or confirmed cases.
“We are prepared,” the commissioner assured.
He explained that the state’s approach was precautionary, stressing that the absence of a confirmed case did not mean the government should be complacent.
Onojaeme said the Ministry would continue to monitor developments and strengthen its preparedness measures to ensure that any suspected case would be promptly identified and appropriately managed.
NANNM, NMA appeals precede approval
The commissioner also disclosed that the decision followed appeals from the Delta State Council of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Delta State, requesting that the state adopt a similar retirement-age extension following the approval of the policy at the federal level.
He said the governor’s approval was therefore a response to the need to retain experienced health professionals at a time when the state, like other parts of the country, is grappling with health-worker migration and manpower shortages.
The policy takes effect from the date of the governor’s approval, subject to the prescribed application, medical fitness, screening and approval procedures.
With the extension, the Delta State Government is seeking to strike a balance between bringing younger professionals into the health system and retaining experienced personnel whose expertise remains critical to the delivery of quality healthcare.
For the state’s public hospitals, the policy could provide additional breathing space as government continues efforts to recruit, train and retain health professionals in the face of growing manpower pressures across Nigeria’s health sector.