Abia State government has initiated moves against brain drain by the medical doctors and other health workers by clearing arrears of salaries owed them by the previous administrations and improving their welfare.

The commissioner for health, Ngozi Okoronkwo announced this at a flag-off press conference for a 10-day free medical mission by Association of Nigeria Physicians in the Americas in Umuahia, the state capital.

She explained that the move was not only meant to discourage them from migrating to other countries for greener pastures, but also to motivate them to deliver quality services.

While announcing that the administration budgeted N200 million for the mission, she added that 300 and 500 patients were captured for medical and cataracts surgeries respectively during the mission.

Okoronkwo, who announced that over 7000 patients registered for the mission, noted that the Alex Otti led administration would continue to prioritize the health sector in line with its campaign pledges.

Also speaking, the president of the association, Chinyere Anyogu, said the mission is aimed at providing Nigerians with quality health service and extolled the administration for its initiatives in the health sector.

She announced that the association was collaborating with the federal ministry of health on how to stem the migration by training 1 million health workers in the country.

In his contribution, the mission chairman, Dele Ekusami, said the medical team comprised 60 members in different fields of medicine and 100 volunteer physicians from the country.

“We’re sacrificing so much to carry out the annual medical mission in our bid to give back to society and improve on the health of the citizens,” the chairman added.

Earlier, the chairman of the local organising committee of the mission and chief medical director of Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Azubuike Onyebuchi, said arrangements had been made for the success of the mission.