Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has admitted that Nigeria health care system is facing serious manpower challenges due to the unprecedented and increased interest of Nigerian trained medical doctors in foreign jobs.
This, obviously, was contrary to recent position of the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, that Nigeria has enough medical doctors and anyone who is interested in foreign opportunities should leave.
A statement released in Abuja, on Friday, by federal ministry of health, indicated that the Vice President who was represented by the minister of state for health, Olurinmibe Mamora, confirmed the development at the 39th conference of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) in Kaduna.
He said the impact of manpower shortage could be seen and felt in different parts of Nigeria with records of few medical manpower.
The minister explained: “We recognised the fact that manpower is critical for prompt and quality health care services. Statistics from the national human resource for health strategic plan of 2008–2012 confirmed that areas with lowest concentration of health professionals have the worst health indices in Nigeria.”
He however reassured the doctors that some realistic measures are being taken to improve the welfare, remuneration and working conditions of the doctors in order to discourage them from eyeing foreign opportunities.
NARD President, Dr. Olusegun Olaopa, in his remarks, said the issue of brain drain in health care sector is a big threat and could be catastrophic.
He suggested that sound and effective residency training should be encouraged as that would ensure availability of specialist services to Nigerians.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Abdulmumini Rafindadi, admitted in his remarks, that residency training programme was one major platform that helps in training of specialists and consultant staff for the health care system in Nigeria.
He explained that the programme which began in 1969 has so far, provided empowerment opportunity for over 7,000 resident doctors in16 faculties of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN).