Medical experts blame brain drain on poor working environment

The Lagos State chapter of the Association of Nigeria Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) has blamed the brain drain syndrome in the country on poor working environment.

 The group made the remark during the Scientific Conference/ANPMP Annual General Meeting, Lagos State Branch, with the theme: “New National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act – Implications for Private Practitioners.” 

This is even as speakers attributed low quality healthcare services to the acute shortage of medical personnel resulting in overstretching of the available manpower. 

The group further noted the failure of health insurance scheme due to the poor implementation whereby providers were not carried along during policy formulation but decisions forced on them.   

While stressing the need for preventive measures to combat the menace of malaria, it called for government’s action against the poor public habits leading to blockage of drainages, canals and stagnant water in some parts of Lagos, which serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes and hence the prevalence of malaria infestation.  

Calling for a paradigm shift from curative to preventive medicine, to reduce cost of medical care, the group blamed increased patronage of substandard health facilities or quacks, as well as proliferation of fake/substandard medical/pharmaceutical supplies on the economic downturn in the country leading to poor health-seeking habits.