The Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has expressed serious concern over the mass exodus of doctors, saying only 1,300 medical doctors are in its record of active service in the state.
Kano is the most populous state in Northern Nigeria with an estimated population of over 15 million people, according to the National Population Commission.
In a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Monday, the NMA’s chairman in the state, Dr. Abdullahi Suleiman said the World Health Organisation recommends a ratio of one doctor to 600 patients.
He noted that the ratio in Kano according to the number of doctors that are active in the state is roughly one to 11,500 patients.
“Many medical doctors and other healthcare workers are exiting the state in droves.
“Our records show that we have only 1,300 doctors for a population of over 20 million people. It’s very bad, and this is across almost all healthcare workers, not only doctors. People are leaving for Gambia, Somalia, Rwanda, and Saudi Arabia every day.
“This is very scary, the government must take deliberate steps to maintain people, doctors, and other healthcare workers in the system, we have to retain our workforce because a healthy nation is a wealthy nation,” Suleiman said
He, therefore, advised the Federal Government, state, and other relevant authorities to address the worsening brain drain among healthcare workers.
“This shortage is mainly brought about by the increasing number of doctors and other healthcare workers leaving the country with those left behind bearing the brunt in the form of overwork, exhaustion and burnout in a nonconducive working environment.
“The healthcare sector is the bedrock of any nation, now is the time to bring about the necessary reforms, improvements, and collective efforts to achieve a robust and efficient healthcare that caters to the needs of all Nigerians.
“We call on the Kano state to employ the needed healthcare workers and provide them with the conditions of service and environment to function effectively to keep them in the system”, he said.
He said that apart from doctors, other categories of health workers said to be migrating are pharmacists and nurses, among others.
