By Joseph Erunke, ABUJA

The federal government has approved foreign training in various fields for eight of its medical staff

However, the government which expressed fear that the staff may not return after completion of their programmes, has begged them to honour their commitment to return and “patriotically serve the country that gave them foundational training and still needs their services.”

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, stated this in a Statement of Need he issued for the eight Nigerian medical subspecialty trainees in the US.

According to a statement by the Ministry’s Director of information, Deworitshe Patricia, Prof. Pate “noted that as they do well in the US, they should remember that it is the commonwealth of Nigeria that contributed to their being attractive to the US and avoid being simply inputs or economic migrants.”

“While urging Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora to avoid engineering negative perception about the country in foreign lands, the Coordinating Minister assured that the Federal Government is pursuing a policy of Constructive Migration while doing everything possible to improve the working conditions of the existing workforce,”the statement added.

It reads in part:”In line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and his conscious commitment to transforming the Healthcare system, the Coordinating Minister, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate,has approved the applications of 8 Nigerian medical trainees for a Statement of Need to be issued to the United States Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

“Issuance of this Statement depicts Federal Government’s conformation to the United States Government of a need in Nigeria for the specialized training being sought by the applicants, thus, paving way for processing of J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa applications for trainees.

“The trainees are expected to abide by the assurance they made in their individual applications to return home to Nigeria immediately after their training, to serve their home country, at least for 2 years.

“The Minister called on the trainees to honour their commitment to return and patriotically serve the country that gave them foundational training and still needs their services.

‘”He noted that as they do well in the US, they should remember that it is the commonwealth of Nigeria that contributed to their being attractive to the US and avoid being simply inputs or economic migrants.

“While urging Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora to avoid engineering negative perception about the country in foreign lands, the Coordinating Minister assured that the Federal Government is pursuing a policy of Constructive Migration while doing everything possible to improve the working conditions of the existing workforces.”