Why Nigerian doctors are leaving NigeriaNMA
News & Trends •
by ummul idris2 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 country1 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 abuja1 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 challenge1 he noted that many doctors who left the country to take up foreign appointment did so due to inadequate facilities among other factors1 he listed mass unemployment lack of placement for residency faced by a high proportion of medical professionals in nigeria as other factors1 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 stay1 the nigeria medical association nma has attributed poor remuneration and inadequate health facilities as some of the major reasons for mass exodus of medical doctors1 we have internal and international brain drain nigeria now has one doctor catering for 5000 patients instead of one doctor to 600 patients.1 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 syndrome1 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.1 dr michael olarewaju the president of association of residents doctors fct chapter said that brain drain was a massive problem to nigerias health system1 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 country1 we hear doctors collapsing because the workload is too much because their colleagues have left to find a greener gesture1