Over 20,000 doctors have emigrated from Nigeria -FG

Posted by admin Headlines Friday, July 13th, 2012

As Federal Government strives to improve healthcare delivery in the country, indications have emerged that Nigeria is now an exporter of doctors, nurses and other health workers to developed countries of the world.

It is believed that 20,000 doctors who have migrated from Nigeria, with about 4,000 of that figure heading to the United States of America.

This was made known Tuesday by the National Chairman, Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr Obehi Okojie, at the induction ceremony for 103 graduates of foreign medical institutions and Igbinedion University, Okada, at the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

Okojie lamented that these skilled workers have benefited from government funds to subsidise education, while some have been virtually trained free, yet are presently serving developed countries that contributed nothing to their education.

According to Okojie who is also a Consultant Community Physician, University of Benin, “it is a shame and retaining these expensively- trained professionals has been identified as an issue government has to address seriously and urgently to reverse this ugly trend.”

She said the Federal Government must provide an enabling environment to motivate the doctors so as to stem the tide of the brain drain especially in the health sector otherwise the country would be in danger.

The university don observed that to achieve the MDGs, the country has to have in every place, doctors with the right skills, supported to do the right things for Nigeria.

Also in his remarks, the acting registrar of the MDCN, Dr Udugbai Ilevbare, said that beginning from October this year, all graduates of foreign medical and dental training institutions desirous of practicing in Nigeria, regardless of country of training, must sit for and pass the council’s Assessment examination, to be eligible to practice.

He added that the foreign medical graduates must show evidence from the health regulatory bodies of the countries where they were trained that they are registerable and could have practiced in those countries if they had wanted to do so.

Ilevbare stated that “What it means is that if those who trained you as doctors permit or allow you to treat them as patients, we can also allow you to treat us without fear otherwise that type of medical education carries a moral burden and should be rejected.”

The acting registrar disclosed that the council has also made participation in Continuing Professional Development activities as one of the conditions for the annual renewal of doctors’ practicing licenses, while calling on the newly inductee to compulsorily participate in them to enable the renewal of their licenses and maintain their names on the MDCN register.

“Council would continue to ensure that we do not unleash medical practitioners who are not- well trained on the society. I would advice that you continue to attend workshop programmes to ensure that you keep abreast with current developments in this profession,” the acting Registrar maintained.

-Thisdaywp_posts