August 25, 2021
Nigerian Medical Doctors Migrating From Nigeria for Better Employment Opportunities Abroad
Nigeria is endowed with many natural and human resources including well train medical doctors. Nigerian train doctors are everywhere in the USA and Europe serving in many hospitals. Surveys and available data indicate that over 7,000 trained Nigerian doctors currently serve in combined British and American public health sectors. Many also have left their medical professions in Nigeria to other Nigerian professions with alleged better working conditions. |
Nigerian Doctors Strike: Picture Courtesy Premium Times |
This is not a new train. However, as conditions in the Nigerian economy continue to worsen, there has been an increased intensification of Nigerian medical doctors leaving the country for employment abroad because of poor working conditions in Nigeria. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that due to the severe shortage of qualified doctors in Nigeria, one Nigerian doctor now attends to about 6,000 patients contrary to 600 patients recommended by WHO. Recruitment agencies are popping up in major cities like Nigeria's Federal Capital territory of Abuja and are openly recruiting talented doctors seeking to leave the country. But what exactly is attracting well established Nigerian doctors to these recruitment agencies? Well the answer appears obvious. The recruitment agencies are offering Nigerian doctors an alluring set of employment incentives including higher wages and welfare benefits, peaceful working environment etc., which Nigerian trained doctors say they lack in Nigeria. Interviewed doctors standing in long lines for hours in the hot Abuja sun to apply to migrate from Nigeria complain that too many factors contribute to their decisions to leave Nigeria for employment abroad including among others: failure of the Nigerian government to listen to their pleas for higher wages, improve hospital facilities, equipment and supplies etc. that they need to provide adequate services to their patients.
Many migrating doctors also say they desire a safe working and stable economic environment to practice their skills and that the excessive strikes in Nigeria does not allow them to do their jobs effectively. In the video above (Video Credit: Courtesy of Galaxy News Abuja, Nigeria), we see and hear how other countries like Saudi Arabia among others, are openly taking advantage of Nigeria economic challenges to recruit our priced and invaluable doctors to meet their own medical needs. This is so sad in a country facing severe medical challenges.
It
appears that the solution to Nigerian doctors’ brain drain and the shortage in medical staff will not be resolved anytime soon until the government starts in earnest to change its health policies. Nigerian health policy makers must deliberately pay more attention to improving the
salary and welfare conditions of Nigerian doctors and health professionals in general to discourage their
migration. Legislation must also be put in place that supports the creation of more medical schools to produce more
doctors and medical professional like nurses and laboratory technicians etc.
Should the Nigerian government be concerned about these Doctor
Talent recruitment events? This writer says a definite yes. Inquiring minds want to know! What is your opinion/view?
We like to hear from you.
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