The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), has started an affordable housing scheme for 4,000 members across the country to curb emigration in the sector.
Dr Uyilawa Okhuaibesuyi, NARD’s National President said at a ceremony to launch the scheme in Isiagu layout, Anambra on Monday.
Okhuaibesuyi said leadership of the association had realised that improving working conditions of workers was not only through salary increment, but also ensuring that their basic needs were met.
He identified one of such needs as accommodation, which he said had become a major challenge to members.
Okhuaibesuyi said that the scheme was in partnership with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), and estate development company, Daniel-Bob Nigeria Ltd.
The NARD leader, who expressed worry about the “high rate of brain drain among Nigerian doctors”, hoped that the scheme would help members access the FMBN housing fund, and also tackle some of the challenges bedeviling the medical practitioners.
“For the first phase, we are targeting people who have indicated interest in the six zones of Nigeria. The dream of this leadership is to improve the welfare of members and check brain drain.
“We have a competent developer, Daniel-Bob Ltd, which will help us because the company has done similar verifiable projects,’’ he said.
Dr Collins Iyelobu Chairman, NARD’s Housing Committee, said the national body was trying to replicate the success recorded at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, where a similar scheme was used to secure accommodation for 65 staff.
He assured the 16, 000 doctors in the association that their housing needs would be taken care of as they keyed into the scheme.
He urged doctors and other health workers to take advantage of the scheme, as the project would be delivered as agreed because of the credibility and track record of the developer.
“We have about 1,800 doctors in the South East and that constitutes a large chunk of our membership, so that is why we decided to kick it off here.
“We are of the view that this affordable housing opportunity will make doctors planning to leave the country to have a rethink.
“The prototypes are in four variants, including; three bedroom terrace, three-bedroom semi detached duplex, four-bedroom semi detached and four-bedroom fully detached.
“All the detached houses are with boys’ quarters and the area, with beautiful environment, measures about 15 hectares,’’ he said.
Iyelobu said that the second phase of estate in Anambra, set to begin in the second quarter of 2021, was intended for about 525 members.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Daniel-Bob Ltd, Chief Daniel Orji, said the ceremony was a milestone in the partnership, describing it as the beginning of good things to come the way of doctors in Nigeria.
Orji explained that the estate, when completed, would be equipped with basic facilities such as access roads, water supply, police post, creche and schools, as well as a medical post.
“We all know there is housing deficit in Nigeria; group efforts such as this will help to address the shortage, and that is what Daniel-Bob is working at across the country,’’ he said.
While pledging that the project would be executed in line with best practices, Orji lauded NARD for the initiative, which according to him will go a long way in addressing its members’ housing deficits.
He said his company’s mission was to ensure a smooth collaboration with the FMBN in helping civil servants and other government workers access the NHF to get decent and affordable accommodation.
