Says Nigeria May Import Medical Doctors in Future
The Oyo State Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Chairman, Dr. Ayotunde Fasunla, has raised the alarm that the nation’s skyrocketing brain drain wave may culminate in the country, resorting to hiring medical doctors to treat local patients in the future.
He therefore called for a state of emergency in the health sector with a view to holistically addressing the menace of pull and push factors, responsible for mass migration of health personnel to Europe, America, Middle East and other African countries
He stated this in Ibadan on Tuesday, at the official opening of the 2022 scientific conference, titled: “National Health Authority Act – The Sound Bites”.
The event has as a sub-theme: “Industrial Harmony in the Health Sector – A Necessity for Health Sector Growth.”
Dr. Fasunla went further to warn that if urgent steps were not taken to fix the deteriorating situation, it may lead to total collapse of the health system in the country.
He also noted that the poor state of the government-owned hospitals in the country was largely due to poor funding, noting that the budgetary allocation to the health sector in 2022 was approximately 4.2 per cent of the national budget, which he said falls significantly below the recommendation of the African Union (AU) at the Abuja Declaration of a minimum of 15 per cent.
The situation, he said, was worse at the state level.
“The infrastructure deficit is such that some of our hospitals spend a significant amount of their internally generated revenues on diesel to ensure power supply.
“There is scarcity of funds to apply for equipment upgrade, manpower development or even recruitment of new staff.
“Many of our hospitals are grossly under-staffed. Even the process of replacing migrating staff is bogged down by a rigid and insensitive government bureaucracy.
“It is our plea to the government to commit more funds to the health sector so that the system does not collapse.
“Only healthy people can have the will and strength to contribute to the growth and development of a nation’s economy.
“Therefore, I call on well-meaning Nigerians, philanthropists, and non-governmental organisations to join hands with the government to improve the conditions of the health system in the nation, especially Oyo State. It is obvious that the government cannot handle it alone”, Fasunla submitted.
Corroborating his point, the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr.Taiwo Ladipo, who represented Gov. ‘Seyi Makinde, noted that the brain drain syndrome has become an issue that should not be treated with levity.
He disclosed that the state recruited about 530 medical and health personnel within the last one year, and 20 among them, including 12 consultants had left the services of the state government.
In the same vein, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Council, University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, Dr. Abiodun Adeoye, stated that the brain drain in the health sector should be treated as a national emergency.
Adeleye, who represented UCH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Abiodun Otegbayo, stressed the importance of the power of industrial harmony in the health sector towards boosting quality and robust healthcare in Nigeria.
He therefore urged the health sector personnel to shun all forms of rifts that had been considered to be deleterious to the healthcare system.
Says Nigeria May Import Medical Doctors in Future
