The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), yesterday, called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the health sector to address the issue of brain drain among medical doctors.
It warned that Nigeria is losing trained doctors at a faster rate than it produces.
NMA Chairman, Kaduna State branch, Dr. Madaki Sheyin, gave the warning at a press briefing organised to flag off the 2022 Physicians’ Week, with the theme: “Nigeria’s Healthcare Delivery System and the 2023 Democratic Transition: A Time to Change the Narrative.”
He urged the Federal Government to immediately declare emergency on the country’s health sector.
Sheyin said statistics had revealed that between January 1, 2022 and September 30, 2022, about 1,307 doctors trained in Nigeria were licensed in the United Kingdom (UK) as Nigeria continues to battle brain drain in its history and in overall, 10,296 doctors who obtained their degrees in Nigeria, currently practise in the UK.
According to him, Nigeria has the third highest number of foreign doctors working in UK after Pakistan and India.
SIMILARLY, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), NMA Chairman, Ogun State chapter, Dr. Adekunle Ashimi, who also spoke at a media briefing in Abeokuta, yesterday, lamented the rate at which brain drain had hit the country’s health sector.
He said: “As the situation gets worse, doctors, who stayed behind, are seriously being overworked, as bureaucracy has made it difficult for heads of public hospitals to replace the doctors who had left.
“Therefore, those who are working now begin to see reasons to leave the country.”
“The situation our health care is facing now means one doctor to 15,000 patients, which may be worse if the situation is not addressed.”
Ashimi also appealed to government to review the Consolidated Medical Salary Scheme (CONMESS), saying there is need for hazard allowance for health workers.
He noted that the review of CONMESS had been due since 2014 based on the 2009 collective bargaining agreement signed by the government to review it after five years.
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