The Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, on Saturday that the Federal Government had directed that health workers who plan to relocate abroad for greener pastures must henceforth resign their appointment beforehand.

Alausa added that the era of health workers exiting to other countries of the world in search of better offers after applying for their leave of absence is no longer acceptable.

The Minister stated this on Saturday during his visit to The Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Aro, Abeokuta.

Alausa said, “The government is not unmindful of the Japa effect on our manpower in the health sector and the President has ordered for massive production of manpower such that when people go, there will always be replacement.

“However, you cannot eat your cake and have it. If you are going, just resign your appointments with the Federal Government, rather than applying for leave of absence, that is the presidential executive order which has been communicated to all the Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government-owned health facilities to implement.

“The problem with the leave of absence is that such a fellow is out there in the UK or Australia working, making money but his name still appears on the payment roll of the government and so to replace him is difficult because he is still being considered as a staff whereas he has left the country.

“So, to solve this problem, the President has directed that any health workers going abroad to work should just resign their appointment and not apply for leave of absence. This way, you won’t be blocking others who want to work and of course piling burdens for your colleagues that you left behind.”