One doctor attends to 4000 Nigerians — ex-NMA President
The former President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Osahon Enabulele, on Friday said President Muhammadu Buhari is not motivating Nigerian doctors to stay at home and practice due to his love for foreign medical trips.
Lamenting the high cases of brain waves in the country, Enabulele in an interview with Channels Televison, said based on the depleting numbers of healthcare workers in the country, one doctor is currently attending to 4,000 Nigerians as against the ratio of the WHO which recommends one doctor to 600 population.
“So, how are we investing in the health production capacity in terms of institutional framework for producing a health personnel? Today in the health sector, we need over 250,000 medical doctors to meet with the ratio of one doctor to 600 population prescribed by the World body.
Nigeria today is revolving around one doctor to 4, 000 population. That cannot impact useful health outcomes. That cannot drive useful health outcomes. So, how are we producing? Even those that are produced, how are we training and retraining them? How are we retaining them?
So, what motivational mechanism do we have on the ground? As I speak to you now, the environment is so defective largely. The working conditions are very pitiable and of course, buoyed by the issue of insecurity which affects all Nigerians,” the statement read in part.
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