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Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Immediate past Vice President of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr Ganiyu Olanipekun Ahmed, said the statement accredited to the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, was a show of his deep-seated ignorance and a reflection of lack of insight.
Olanipekun who spoke to our correspondent on phone said he felt pained and totally disappointed that such statement could come from a minister of the government, who aside from being a minister, is also a medical doctor.
He said: “Ngige should know better the workforce required to meet the need of Nigerians. His statement was evidence of his insufficient insight into the need of Nigeria.
Ngige was a guest on Channels TV morning programme, Sunrise Daily, where said he was not worried about doctors leaving Nigeria because there are enough doctors to cater for the medical need of Nigerians.
When asked by the presenter to comment on the brain drain in Nigeria, and if the deliberate recruitment of Nigerian doctors by foreign embassies was detrimental to the nation’s health sector, the minister said, “No, I am not worried about doctors leaving Nigeria. We have a surplus of doctors.
“If you have surplus then you are free to export. It happened some years ago here. I was taught chemistry and biology by Indian teachers in my secondary school days. There was a surplus in their country, and we also have a surplus in the medical profession in our country. I can tell you that,” he said.
He added: “I know a couple of them who practise abroad but set up medical centres back home. They have a CAT scan, MRI scan which even the government cannot maintain. So, I don’t see any loss. Who said we don’t have enough doctors?
We have more than enough. You can quote me.
“There is nothing wrong in them travelling out. When they go abroad, they earn money and send them back home here. It increases our foreign exchange earnings.”
