Even when it did not come as surprise, the fact that there is relentless migration of Nigeria’s professionals to other countries should be cause for concern. That is why the recent report that 227 doctors left Nigeria in 2015 to other countries in search of greener pastures must be ringing alarm bells. According to the report, reasons cited by those leaving the country include search of job satisfaction, higher standards of living, better salaries and educational progressive society.
In fact, what is happening to the medical profession is symptomatic of the malaise affecting the other professions. Definitely, there is nothing wrong with persons migrating from one country to another for economic or political reasons. However, when such migrations become outright, it is capable of draining a country of its best brains while keeping the society perpetually undeveloped.
For years, Nigeria has struggled with the crisis of brain drain in all sectors, even as findings revealed that in 2010, 637 doctors left the country. There is no denying that the effect of this brain drain is enormous and has been affecting the country negatively.
One of the most essential resources in a health system is the human capital that constitutes it. These highly qualified health professionals, and in particular doctors, are subject to numerous qualitative and quantitative regulatory measures to insure the quality, equity and sustainability of health care delivery. Sadly, Nigeria ranks among the 30 countries exporting the highest numbers of doctors in the world. While this is going on, the country continues to witness an embarrassing shortage of doctors to man its hospitals and health institutions.
Incidentally, Nigeria has invested in the education and training of these health professionals. It therefore translates into a loss of considerable resources when these people migrate, with the direct benefit accruing to the recipient states who did not bear the cost of educating them. It is a fact that the intellectuals of any country are some of the most expensive resources because of their training in terms of material cost and time, and most importantly, because of lost opportunity.
Nevertheless, it would be wrong to put all the blames on the migrating doctors, especially given the de-motivating working conditions, and low salaries in the country. Investigations reveal that scores of Nigerian doctors currently overseas are willing to return home provided appropriate employment opportunities are available. Unfortunately, not only are such opportunities very scarce, there is growing unemployment among registered doctors in Nigeria. Moreover, there is need for high-income countries to invest more in domestic medical education and to stop hiring from countries with the lowest coverage of doctors.
However, the country can do more to attract and keep doctors and other health professionals at home.
While all the sectors of the economy are interwoven and fundamental for a robust development, some are even more crucial, as they influence directly on the people’s wellbeing. It is probably in this light that stakeholders are advocating that the many problems besetting the Nigerian medical sector, which are mainly responsible for medical personnel’s flight abroad, need to be urgently addressed, so as to stem the tide and restore the dignity of the profession and its practitioners
No comments:
Write comments