Nigerian Doctors Seek Ways to Reverse Brain-drain Syndrome

The leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has expressed its resolve to deal with the problem of brain-drain afflicting the country’s medical profession and to translate it to brain-gain.

The body would today (Tuesday) flag off its second National Health Summit in Abuja where it hoped to articulate measures that would reverse the low points in the nation’s healthcare delivery system.

Addressing a press conference to herald the commencement of a four-day health summit, NMA President, Dr. Francis Adedayo Faduyile, said issues such as improving the Nigerian health indices, inter-professional relationship in the health sector, brain-drain and brain-gain would be discussed.

Others are: seeking ways to enhance the universal health coverage and to reverse medical tourism.

He added that this year’s summit would be pushing a new narrative to focus attention on a patient-centred care.

On the issue of brain-drain, Faduyile said: “We are looking at how we can reverse this probably bad situation to profit Nigerians. That is when we begin to make it a brain-gain.”

He explained that the main thrust of the drive is to get those Nigerians who have travelled out to acquire special skills to come back and transfer these knowledge and skills to their compatriots at home.

The summit is expected to play host to doctors from the Commonwealth countries.

Regarding the alleged suspension placed on the Ministry of Health preventing it from carrying out direct procurement, NMA urged the federal government to lift the suspension to enable the ministry perform its numerous tasks.