Emergency! Nigerian Doctors Seek Better Treatment Abroad

When recently a friend told me that someone very close to him, a qualified medical doctor, took the muchtalked about dangerous Libya Mediterranean Sea route to Europe, my heart sank.

He said the fellow was, at the time we spoke, somewhere in Italy, the first European point of call for any migrant lucky enough to cross the treacherous sea before embarking on another risky arrangement to a more desirable European country. And that is if he’s not first arrested and subsequently deported by the Italian authorities straight to any African country depending on the passport found on him.

Remember, there’s still public outrage on the horrendous encounters of young Nigerian women and men; both skilled and unskilled, who were trapped in Libya while trying to cross the sea to Europe.

Recently, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) revealed that more than 40,000 of its 75,000 registered doctors ply their trade abroad, and that 70 percent of doctors in Nigeria were considering leaving the country. Who knows how many amongst this lot are contemplating another treacherous journeys to escape the frustration in Nigeria?

We are all aware of the terrible circumstances of non-payment of salaries, poor working environments, hospitals without basic medical equipment and medications and lack of electricity that are compelling these medical professionals to seek better lives abroad.

It’s however not too late for the Nigerian government to halt this anti-development exodus through pragmatic reforms aimed at addressing the shortcomings in the country’s health sector.

Apart from the Western nations, India and China are major references in terms of the management of their health sectors and the attractive packages that are available for the countries’ health workers. That’s why the two countries have continued to produce more brilliant doctors and even attract more of their native doctors in diaspora.

There’s a big lesson for Nigeria in that. Even if Nigeria is not yet ready to attract the pool of its brilliant medical practitioners spread in different countries around the world, she should make efforts and do all that is necessary to persuade and encourage the doctors at home to stay put. Doing that, she will be saving the lives of many citizens and even protecting the economic life of the nation.