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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has insisted that there’s no good in the decision of some medical doctors to leave the shores of Nigeria in search of “greener pastures” abroad as being the case in Nigeria currently.
The Council thus asked Nigerian doctors who are seeking emigration opportunities to have a rethink, reminding them that things are not as rosy as they thought, or are forced to believe by people who might have found their there.
MDCN Registrar, Dr. Tajudeeen Sanusi, who spoke to journalists at the induction ceremony of over 200 foreign-trained doctors in Abuja, said that, though there’s mass exodus of doctors from Nigeria, but many of the doctors end up in regret of their decision.
He said: “Aside other reasons being considered by the doctors, they give greater consideration to the money being mentioned as salary and allowances of doctors that are practicing in such country. Immediately the money is mentioned, the doctors will quickly reach out to their calculators to convert the money to Naira. But they often failed to realize that Naira is not spent there.
“For instance, in the United Kingdom, pounds is the legal tender there. So, even if you are paid 10,000 pounds as a medical doctor, and you convert it to Naira, you can only spend pounds there and not Naira. A bottle of coca-cola in UK cost at least, one pound, which is over a thousand naira in Nigeria. But a bottle of coca-cola in Nigeria is N200 or little above depending on the location.
“These doctors don’t realize all these things until they get there, and when you try to make them understand the true situation there, they might end up attacking you, accusing you of not wishing them career growth and development.
“However, I prefer to encourage people who want to travel abroad for the purposes of study particularly postgraduate trainings and experiences to freely do so, but always have it at the back of their mind that their should return to country after their studies to render medical services to the country.
“Imagine that we all travel abroad because we could afford the cost and never returned. Who will attend the people left behind, or even train the younger ones. I agree that poverty or unfavorable working conditions could be responsible for the professional interest abroad, but there are several ways to resolve the issues.”
He, however, insisted that there’s no good with ‘japa’ , thus discouraging doctors who are still considering the option of emigration to have a rethink, remain in the country and offer services to the people, with hope a better days and working conditions ahead.
