From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Founder of Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, has expressed the willingness of Nigerian doctors, who left the country to seek greener pastures abroad, to return home and ply their trade.
However, Dr. Ajayi, an expert in reproductive health, said such desire to come back to Nigeria was being hampered by the glaring lack of standard medical facilities where the would be returnees could offer services to humanity.
Dr. Ajayi stated this while speaking with newsmen in Asaba on the sidelines of the 14th year anniversary celebration of the establishment of Nordica Fertility Centre in the Delta State capital.
Our correspondent understands that the centre which specialised in the treatment of infertility and the facilitation of articifial conception through a technologically driven process, In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), was first established in Lagos 20 years ago.
Dr. Ajayi disclosed that more than eight Nigerian doctors based overseas have worked at the fertility centre, adding that recently, another Nigerian doctor based in Qatar was also recruited by the centre.
According to him, “Most of our doctors in the western world are willing to come back home to work but there are no well equipped facilities.
“And because they have practiced there for some time, there is a certain standard which they can accept. Nigerian doctors are great but lack of equipment is the major bane.”
Dr. Ajayi said he has never regretted choosing Asaba as a base for the treatment of infertility after Lagos, adding that the centre has assisted many couples with artificial conception in order for them to have children of their own.
Conservatively, he said about 250 patients are treated annually at the Asaba centre, noting that the centre has contributed immensely to the improvement of the fertility level within the catchment areas.
He however lamented the the rising cases of infertility globally, which he partly attributed to lifestyles particularly among the youths, who have failed to take deliberate steps to preserve their fertility.
“Definitely infertility is on the rise, in fact globally, not only in Nigeria, infertility rate seems to be rising especially male factor infertility. They have done so many studies in the western and discovered that in the last 40 years sperm count has reduced by 50%.
“We, in Nigeria did a study ten years ago in our clinic, we saw that in ten years, sperm count has reduced by 30% in ten years. There is no doubt that male infertility seems to be on the increase,” he submitted.