By Wisdom Chukwu-Ohaegbule
Medical doctors being trained by the Rivers State Government will soon sign a bond to work for the state for some years before working elsewhere.
This comes on the heels of the uproar of a Bill in the National Assembly demanding medical graduates to be stopped by law from migrating to other countries.
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Gov Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has said medical students who are recipients of the Rivers State government scholarship will sign agreement to serve the State for a given number of years after graduation.
The governor emphasised that this policy will enable the Rivers State government reap the benefit of investing huge resources in the training of medical students of the State extraction.
Gov Wike started this at the inauguration of a 500-bed capacity hostel for medical students of Rivers State University (RSU). The project is situated within the premises of the faculties of Basic Clinical Sciences and Clinical Sciences of RSU in Port Harcourt.
The Rivers State governor told the students that a new policy was been evolved concerning the scholarship offered medical students by the State government.
The policy, he explained, will require any student who wants to benefit from the State government scholarship to sign a bond stating the condition which stipulates the years he/she will serve the state after graduation.
“We don’t want to train these children and they run away. They must serve the state first.”
Gov Wike said it will be unfair to spend such huge sum of money on training medical students and lose them almost immediately on graduation to other states or countries.
The governor asserted that they will have to contribute quality service and add value to the medical sector in the State in order to justify the investment on them. “Some of you will be married outside, but tell your husband too there is an obligation you owe (Rivers State) having trained you. Let him come and stay with you here, then after those number of years, you people can move to wherever you want to move.”
Gov Wike also assured that the outstanding scholarship expenses will be paid to the institution before he leaves office.
