THERE IS
'FIRE ON THE MOUNTEAIN' FOR NIGERIA'S HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH (HRH) PLAN -
IF THERE IS A REAL PLAN AT ALL: - READ ON -
Nigeria
needs 10,605 new doctors annually to avert health crisis
AUGUST 3RD,
2017 PAUL HEALTH, NEWS0 COMMENTS
“The
country’s health sector needs reforms to redesign of a health system that is
responsive to the healthcare needs of the nation”. Said Achonwa
A new survey
by the Nigerian Polling organization (NOIPolls) and Nigeria Health Watch says
that the country will need 10,605 new doctors annually to avert health
challenges and meet current population growth rate of 3.5% yearly.
In a bid to
measure the scope of the trend in emigration of the Nigerian healthcare
workforce, particularly medical doctors that has been a lingering problem in
the country, the organisations carried out the survey.
“Nigeria has
about 72,000 medical doctors registered with the Medical and Dental Council of
Nigeria, with only approximately 35,000 practicing in Nigeria,” said Bell Ihua
the Chief executive officer of NOIPolls limited, a Nigerian public opinion
polling company.
Ihua further
said, “The findings are critical to the ability of the health system to retain
adequate skilled personnel to cope with Nigeria’s growing population.”
The survey
conducted on medical doctors is to assess the prevalence with which medical
doctors pursue work opportunities abroad and probable reasons why.
It found
that 8 out of every 10 medical doctors in Nigeria are currently seeking work
opportunities abroad, and this includes junior, mid and senior level doctors in
both public and private medical institutions.
Bell added
that the survey was targeted at Nigerian medical doctors, and it involved a
mixed methodology approach employing quantitative and qualitative methods.
“Current
population is about 182 million at a 3.5% growth rate from the 2006 census.
“This means
we need about 303,333 medical doctors now, and at least 10,605 new doctors
annually to join the workforce. Only at this level can we expect good quality
patient care that is not compromised by errors occasioned by fatigued and
overworked medical doctors,” said Ihua
Ifeanyi
Nsofor, CEO of EpiAfric and health communication advisor, Nigeria Health Watch
said the survey will translate into better training, better pay, better working
conditions of health workers in Nigeria
“One thing
that came to mind for me during the survey that being a doctor no longer has no
dignity in it”.
“87% of
doctors interviewed believed that government was unconcerned about their
deplorable conditions”.
“It’s time
for Nigerians to be scandalized about the state of the health sector”, said
Nsofor
He added
that the National Assembly should look at bills that put doctors in an
uncomfortable position.
“Our first
recommendation is to provide universal health coverage to improve the funding
of the health sector”.
“Health
should be on the agenda for the next Nigerian presidential elections and also
there is need for the right people to head the health sector, so Nigerians can
access proper medical care”
According to
the findings revealed that the reasons for the looming brain drain in the
health sector include challenges such as high taxes and deduction from salary
(98 percent), low work satisfaction (92 percent), poor salaries and emoluments
(91 percent) and the huge knowledge gap that exists in the medical practice
abroad (47 percent) amongst others.
According to
C.J Achonwa chairman Nigeria medical association (NMA); this survey also seeks
to sound an alarm of a looming brain drain in the country’s health sector.
“If nothing
is done urgently to curb this rising trend of emigration of healthcare practitioners
– physicians, nurses, pharmacist, and laboratory scientists amongst others.
“The
country’s health sector needs reforms to redesign of a health system that is
responsive to the healthcare needs of the nation”. Said Achonwa’’
Africa Center for Clin Gov Research &
Patient Safety
@ HRI West Africa
Group - HRI WA
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