A major problem that Africa has been affected by over the years is that the high rate of drain that takes highly competent personnel in important areas from the continent to foreign countries, making their service very scarce in their respective countries. (Nigeria Has More Than 4000 Doctors In The US And 5000 In The UK Alone)
A report released by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation revealed that African countries footed a bill of $4.6 billion in training doctors who were later recruited by the United Kingdom , USA, CANADA and AUSTRALIA.
The current country affected by this canker is Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria. With an estimated population figure of over 180 million people, Nigeria is meant to possess a substantial number of doctors to handle the upper demands for health service delivery across the country.
Unfortunately, certain situations are forcing Nigerian doctors to settle on foreign countries over their own country.
Some of the explanations quoted for this mass exodus of trained doctors from the country are, better facilities and work environment, higher salaries, career progression and an improved quality of life.
Successive governments are criticized strongly for the low budget allocation to the world , resulting in the underfunding of health activities and remuneration of doctors. consistent with reports, a doctor in Nigeria earns about N200, 000 ($560) monthly, relative to the high salaries and better opportunities offered by these foreign countries.
Nations like British , America, Emirati, Saudi Arabia and lots of others are taking advantage of the prevailing situation within the country by fixing agencies that sells their offers, recruit most of the simplest doctors and migrate them out of the country.
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About 4000 Nigerian doctors are reported to be practicing within the USA, with 5000 currently registered within the UK consistent with the BBC. The remaining have spread across Canada, Australia, among others.
As it stands now, drain has become a significant issue of concern within the Nigerian Health sector.
According to the Nigerian polling agency NOI polls and therefore the Nigerian Health Watch, the trend of Doctors emigrating to other countries is at an all-time high. Statistically, about 2000 doctors were estimated to possess left Nigeria in recent times, adding to the previews records.
This has widened the Doctor-Patient ratio beyond the globally set target. Data from the planet Health organization indicated that Nigeria’s physician to patient ratio is 4 doctors per 10,000 patients, as against, 26 and 28 doctors per 10,000 people within the USA and Canada respectively. this is often way beyond the planet Health Organization’s recommendation of 1 doctor per 600 people.
The Nigerian government must put urgent measures in situ to assist curb this menace. There must be a political will, with a robust resolve that prioritizes the world and allocate sufficient budgets to assist resolve some, if not all of the aforementioned reasons for the mass exodus to assist keep the doctors reception to serve their country and other people .
Source: Eye Gambia
