Nigerian Medical Association, (NMA) is seeking the expertise of relevant stakeholders to find solutions to mass emigration, the worrisome trend affecting the health sector and ways to advance the system and improve health care delivery.
Speaking at the annual general meeting/scientific confrence held on Friday July 21, in Awka, Anambra state, on the theme, “Mass emigration of doctors and other health workers: the origin, challenges and solution”, the President of NMA, Dr. Rowland Ojinmah, identified poor renumeration, high taxation, difficulty in gaining employment, insecurity, stressful medical education and poor funding of health sector among other challenges as reasons for brain drain in the medical field.
To advance solutions, Dr. Ojinmah asked government to implement and ensure adequate funding of health sector, full implementation of National Health Act and Medical Residency Training Act, privatize the health sector and institute the health sector development bank and increase renumeration of the health workers.
In her address, the Anambra State Chairman of NMA, Dr. Jane Nkolika Ezeonu, said that the conference offers opportunity for continuing medical education and professional development, lamenting that the increasing number of doctors and health workers who leave the country is disastrous to the profession.
Contributing, the Head of Service, Barrister Theodora Igwegbe, said the theme is apt in order to curb the mass exodus of health workers, explaining that the state government has invested in improving healthcare infrastructure, increased remuneration and improved health care initiative which will help solve the ugly trend.
Medical director Ezinne children hospital, Dr. Vivian Onwuekwe in an interview urged federal government to increase the pay of medical doctors.
” A lot of doctors are leaving the country and its not good. After treaning for many years, the working conditions is soo poor that most of them prefer to leave and relocate to where they will get services and work with equipments.
“Most of our hospitals are clinics because they don’t have infrastructure and dont pay well. Doctors are not been treated well in Nigeria.
Onwuekwe, the first chairman of Nigeria Medical Association Onitsha Zone, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to increase the health allocation so that hospitals will be equiped. We have good medications.
She urged National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC) to intensify its effect in tackling fake drugs which has resulted to the number of people suffering from kidney failures.
ANN gathered that In recent times, there has been an increased number of medical doctors and health workers migrating to other parts of the world from Nigeria in search of greener pastures which is posing serious threat to the health sector in the country.
