Nigeria’s health minister downplays doctors’ brain drain, says happening in other climes too

Nigeria’s health minister has downplayed the mass migration of Nigerian doctors to other countries, saying it is not unique to Nigeria as other countries are also suffering a similar fate. Also, that the Buhari administration is more concerned with the exit of specialists or medical consultants than general practitioners.

Minister of Health Osagie EhanireHowever, he said that the government is working to improve the conditions of doctors and other health workers to check mass migration.

“The movement of doctors is not unique to Nigeria,” the minister was quoted as saying by the Government News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). “Ghana has the same experience. I spoke with the Egyptian Minister of Health; they have the same experience in the mobility of doctors. And even in Europe, European doctors go where the salaries are better.”

“As far as we are concerned, it is the experienced people who leave, we have problems,” he said on Sunday at the forum organized by NAN.

Mr. Ehanire explained that Nigeria produces about 3000 doctors every year and the number who leave is about 1000.

“So there really are surplus doctors,” said the minister.

Mr. Ehanire’s claim about surplus doctors, however, is inaccurate and contradicts official figures.

Nigeria currently has about 24,000 doctors, although it needs about 360,000 to meet World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, PREMIUM TIMES notify.

The the president of Nigerian Medical Association, Uche Rowland, lamented the state of mass exodus of doctors. He said a large number of Nigerian doctors had migrated in search of greener pastures in developed countries, of which 5,600 he said. He migrated to the UK (United Kingdom) for the last eight years.

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While Mr Ehanire downplayed the mass exodus, medical experts last month It was gathered in Abuja To discuss how to stop brain drain and its effects on Nigerian health.

They have suggested improving the working conditions of doctors and other health workers so that they do not leave the country.

In an interview with NAN, Mr. Ehanire admitted that there was a need to improve the working conditions of doctors.

He said the federal government was working to improve the state of medical service in Nigeria.
He also said that the federal government was working to attract experienced Nigerian doctors living abroad so that they can provide healthcare services to Nigerians virtually.

READ ALSO: How to stop the brain drain in the health sector – Resident Doctors

“We are also talking about people who have spent many years abroad, who are specialists who know a lot of high-tech medicine, and who commit to work with us, even if it’s virtually, to do virtual consultations.

“They can come every three months or every six months for a few weeks and do some work so that we can get something from their experience and knowledge.

“This is so that they can receive the knowledge and skills they developed after working for many years in highly developed countries,” he said.

More to underestimate the brain drain

Speaking further on the brain drain in Nigeria, Mr. Ehanire described the migration of health workers especially doctors and nurses as a global phenomenon. He said people in the medical profession were becoming a highly mobile professional group.

“I have spoken to the health authorities in the UK and they have told me that doctors are also going to Canada, New Zealand and other countries where the pay is better,” he said.

The health minister further suggested that the Buhari administration was not worried about the departure of doctors who were not yet specialists. He said that many doctors were looking for places where they could do internships or residencies (training to become consultants or specialists), “once they do some training, the younger ones could be quickly replaced.”

According to the minister, the federal government is also working on civil service rules to invite replacements so that when a doctor leaves, he can be replaced within a week.

“The gaps we see are because the rules must be followed and this makes it difficult to immediately replace those who leave public hospitals.

“So when that’s possible, it will be done.”

Mr Ehanire then stated that the government would prioritize improving the working conditions of consultants ahead of doctors who were not yet specialists.

“With the very high level of those who have had postgraduate training, we are doing everything we can to improve the service conditions.

“The commission for health reform created by the president is working and looking at it; We have been talking with the Ministry of Labor to find out how to do this”, he said.