The federal government has mandated that health practitioners relocating abroad must formally resign from their appointments with the federal government instead of applying for a leave of absence.

The minister of state for health, Tunji Alausa, while speaking in a chat with journalists on Saturday, said a presidential executive order has been forwarded to chief medical directors of government-owned health facilities to ensure compliance.

He added that the government would not ban the relocation of health practitioners, but doctors moving abroad must quit their jobs in the country before leaving.

“However, the government has not prohibited anyone who wants to move to the UK or Australia to take up appointments not to do so,” the minister said.

“It is a free world. But, you cannot eat your cake and have it. If you are going, just resign your appointments with the federal government, rather than applying for a 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.

“So, to resolve this problem, the President has directed that any health worker going abroad to work should just resign his or her appointment. This way, you won’t be blocking others who want to work.”

Alausa said that the government has “doubled our enrollment for Doctors, Dentistry and Pharmacists” to offset the brain drain effect of the relocation.