By Jimmy
According to the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), there are only 12,297 resident doctors in the country’s federal and state tertiary health institutions. This means that the doctor-patient ratio is 1:9,083, which is way lower than the WHO’s standard ratio of 1:600.
Nigeria’s population of over 200 million means the country needs at least 363,000 additional doctors to meet the WHO standard. And here we are battling with less than 20,000, with some probably finalizing plans to relocate overseas.
So why are these doctors leaving? And what can be done to address the situation?
Why Doctors Leave Nigeria
Poor work tools
Most Nigerian hospitals and health care centers are under-equipped with facilities and tools for doctors to work with. Many patients in emergency cases die due to a lack of facilities to treat these cases.
Imagine a doctor asking a patient’s family to buy gloves because there are none available in the hospital. Or a doctor asking a family to buy oxygen for their loved one because the hospital has run out? These are just a few examples of what these doctors must go through daily.
At least abroad, they don’t have to worry about these things because they’re available.
Poor working environment
As though working with limited tools is not enough, they also have to work in a very unconducive environment. Imagine doctors performing a major surgery using only torchlight. Or setting up an intravenous fluid infusion for babies via the scalp using a lantern light held up by colleagues because there is no electricity and the backup generator has a spark plug problem.
Poor remuneration and appreciation
With the appalling doctor-patient ratio in Nigeria, one would think the few who chose to remain in the country would be well paid and appreciated for their efforts and sacrifice. Such is not the case.
These doctors are still not getting their dues even though most are overworked due to a lack of personnel. There are reported cases of doctors collapsing during operations, the most recent being a young LUTH doctor who died of exhaustion after a 72-hour shift.
SEE: Outrage as LUTH doctor dies after 72-hour non-stop shift
According to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), over 20 doctors died during the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively reducing the number of the already dwindling population of doctors in Nigeria.
These are people that should be treated as demigods for their good works. Yet, they must go on strike action before their demands are heard. Of course, no doctor wants to go hungry or struggle to provide basic needs for his family despite putting in donkey hours to work. So they prefer to find greener pastures abroad with their valuable skills.
Insecurity
The insecurity situation in Nigeria has grown worse over the years. The country has to deal with Boko Haram insurgents, bandits, unknown gunmen, militants, kidnappers and other agents of insecurity in the country.
Doctors are also vulnerable due to their respected profession. Cases of doctors being kidnapped in Nigeria are common. Hence, many have chosen to flee the country for their lives.
Effects of doctors leaving Nigeria
The number one effect of doctors leaving Nigeria is the massive brain drain in the country. Doctors are leaving Nigeria in their thousands every year. This means there are a lot of crucial positions to fill but very few qualified people to fill them.
Also, the doctor-patient ratio is devastating news in the media and can affect the masses. It means many people may not have access to doctors. You can translate it to mean a patient with a serious illness is as good as gone because there is no doctor to treat him or her.
Doctors leaving Nigeria also have negative effects on the nation’s economy. Medical tourism is one of the major avenues for a country to generate money. Sadly, it’s not happening in Nigeria because the wealthy and influential prefer to travel abroad for medical treatment.
How to prevent doctors from leaving Nigeria
To reverse the worrisome brain drain happening in the health sector, the government should take certain steps to prevent doctors from leaving Nigeria.
- The health sector should be properly funded. In 2001, African Union countries met and pledged to set a target of allocating at least 15% of their annual budget to improve the health sector. Only 5% has been allocated to Nigeria’s health sector for 2022. This needs to be addressed urgently.
- The government should provide the needed infrastructure, such as good roads and transport systems, water supply, security, and stable energy, among others, to ensure they create a good health care system.
- Doctors should be well paid and appreciated with certain financial incentives.
- There should be a constitutional review of the Enforcement of the Bill of Patients’ Rights in Nigeria and National Health Insurance.
- Officials should be held accountable for their positions in ensuring the running of the health sector. Those found to be corrupt should be made to face the law.
