No fewer than 281 Nigerian doctors are currently practising in other African countries as Nigerians continue to seek greener pastures abroad, according to data from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
Top on the list of the Nigerian doctors in this mission are Sudan, South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Uganda and Gambia.
Sunday PUNCH investigation revealed that Nigerian doctors now flood these African countries and others despite the recent pronouncement by the World Health Organisation that the country and 54 others face the most pressing health workforce challenges related to universal health coverage.
The situation is said to be affecting the operations of the nation’s hospitals being deserted by the medical workers.
The Chairman of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, Prof. Emem Bassey had in August said African countries were poaching Nigerian medical doctors and other health professionals. He also said Sierra Leone and The Gambia offer the Nigerian doctors up $4,000 per month.
Bassey, who is the CMD of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, said the health sector was undergoing a major crisis in terms of manpower as health professionals are leaving in droves.
Others are Lesotho -six; Cameroon – four; Namibia -four; Algeria -two; Ethiopia -two; Kenya -two; Liberia -two; Benin -one; Botswana -one; Equatorial Guinea -one; Niger -one; Rwanda -one; Sierra Leone -one; Seychelles -one; South Sudan -one; Tanzania -one; Togo -one; and Zambia -one.
According to the register of the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom, Nigerian-trained doctors practising in the UK has increased to 11,872.
Nigeria has the third highest number of foreign doctors working in the UK after India, and Pakistan.
The President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad told Sunday PUNCH that the poaching of Nigerian doctors in African countries and others is not a new thing.
He said Nigerian doctors practising in other African countries earn more than their colleagues practising in Nigeria.
He said: “For instance, in 2020, I was offered $6,500 per month to go to Liberia, and that contract was supposed to be for a year. There are a lot of factors that will make someone either leave or stay.
“The issue is that what you have depends on how you price it, but others may see the best out of what you have. You may not cherish or protect what you have, and this is taking its toll on Nigeria because what you are doing about six years ago can no longer be done. After all, the manpower is gradually reducing”.
Muhammad said even from medical schools, doctors were already preparing themselves to move abroad. He said the government must be ready to do more to retain healthcare workers in the country.
He added: “These days, doctors at the medical school are preparing themselves to have a certification to move abroad. Before we get to the red line, we need to let the government know that there is a need to look at not just welfare, or money, but even the working conditions of the health workers in the country.
“You may be surprised that somebody who is almost at the apex grade level may be moving around with his files with no office. This is what is happening in Nigeria. Even in tertiary institutions, you may find out that there are no basic amenities to do the work. The government needs to be alive with its responsibilities to ensure that we have a good working environment, good security, and good welfare.
“The government has to do a lot to retain staff, especially healthcare staff because as the younger ones are going out, the senior ones are exiting because of the retirement at 60. Meanwhile, a lot of them have so much experience, and so much to offer”.
The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Emeka Orji said it was shameful that Nigerian doctors are going to African countries because they are treated better and they have a better working environment there.
Orji said: “The brain drain is what we have been saying all the while. It is good that top government officials are also speaking out about it now. Maybe with that, the government will put measures in place to address the causes of brain drain.
“But it is shameful that Nigerian doctors are going to African countries because they are treated better over there; they have a better working environment, better incentives, and better remuneration.
“These are countries that cannot boast of the economic status we have in Nigeria, and if they can treat Nigerian doctors better, there is no way Nigeria should not be able to do better than them”.
The Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu also said the government needed to address the brain drain in the country.
