The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has attributed poor
remuneration and inadequate health facilities as some of the major
reasons for mass exodus of medical doctors.
remuneration and inadequate health facilities as some of the major
reasons for mass exodus of medical doctors.
Dr Ekpe Phillips, the FCT Chapter NMA Chairman, said this at the
opening of the Annual Health Week of the Association of Resident Doctors
(ARD) on Wednesday in Abuja.
opening of the Annual Health Week of the Association of Resident Doctors
(ARD) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Phillips described the pay package of doctors in Nigeria as poor,
stressing the need for government to increase the remuneration of
doctors to address the challenge.
stressing the need for government to increase the remuneration of
doctors to address the challenge.
He noted that many doctors who left the country to take up foreign
appointment did so due to inadequate facilities among other factors.
appointment did so due to inadequate facilities among other factors.
He listed mass unemployment, lack of placement for residency faced by
a high proportion of medical professionals in Nigeria as other factors.
a high proportion of medical professionals in Nigeria as other factors.
Phillips said Nigeria is losing doctors to foreign countries, adding
that Nigerian doctors are leaving the country for greener pastures and
the workload is becoming too much on the doctors that stay.
that Nigerian doctors are leaving the country for greener pastures and
the workload is becoming too much on the doctors that stay.
“We hear doctors collapsing because the workload is too much because their colleagues have left to find a greener gesture.
“We have internal and international brain drain; Nigeria now has one
doctor catering for 5,000 patients instead of one doctor to 600 patients.
doctor catering for 5,000 patients instead of one doctor to 600 patients.
“Brain drain is now becoming pandemic and sad news because government
did not and still is not doing enough; there is no serious commitment
to stemming this syndrome.
did not and still is not doing enough; there is no serious commitment
to stemming this syndrome.
“Nigeria which was one of the richest 50 countries in the early 70s
has metro greased to become one of the 25 poorest countries in the World today,’’ he said.
has metro greased to become one of the 25 poorest countries in the World today,’’ he said.
Dr Michael Olarewaju, the President of Association of Residents
Doctors, FCT chapter, said that brain drain was a massive problem to
Nigeria’s health system.
Doctors, FCT chapter, said that brain drain was a massive problem to
Nigeria’s health system.
He said that if the problem was not properly tackled in the next two
to three years there would not be enough doctors to treat patients in
the country.
to three years there would not be enough doctors to treat patients in
the country.
He observed that initially the problem in the sector was strike by
health workers, “but now they are not going on strike but are exiting the
country’’.
health workers, “but now they are not going on strike but are exiting the
country’’.
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