A former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has warned that Nigerians may soon be catered for by native doctors if the brain drain among medical doctors persists.
Mimiko gave the warning, weekend, while speaking at the induction ceremony of medical students of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State.
He said the government needs to urgently find lasting solutions to the mass exodus of medical personnel across the country.
According to Mimiko, if doctors leaving Nigeria in droves is not checked, in less than ten years from now, Nigerians seeking medical treatment may only be left with native doctors to cater for them.
The former Ondo governor, who is also a medical doctor, maintained that the ‘japa’ syndrome among Nigeria’s doctors calls for drastic measures from the government.
His words, “We are in an emergency. If we continue at this rate, in another five to 10 years, only the “babalawos” (herbalists) will be available to take care of us. It is an emergency, and the government must see it as an emergency. The government must disincentivise the rate at which our medical doctors and medical personnel are emigrating from this country.
“We cannot continue to hold this nation unaccountable. We can take advantage of the opportunity for our professionals to learn new skills. I don’t think any serious government can fold its arms while other countries decide to empty it of its human resources, especially in the health sector.
“We are a great country; we have an incredible young population that is ready. This country has the capacity to train two million to three million students, but those countries that stand at that end to benefit from this training must also do something to expand our capacity to train our people.
“The government must take it up at a very high diplomatic level. We cannot fold our arms and allow all our best human resources to leave this country. It is like a war situation. But I know one thing for sure: if the government does the necessary things, it can be a win-win situation for us as a nation.”
Due to the economic hardship and poor welfare condition for health workers in Nigeria, many professionals in the sector are leaving the country in droves.
A recent report by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) said Nigeria has about 24,000 actively licensed physicians caring for its over 200 million population as result of brain drain.
Medical associations in the country frequently embark on strike to demand for better welfare and good working condition for their members from the government.
