Your Excellency, I am compelled to write this open letter in order to draw your attention to a menace that threatens our healthcare system. That is the well-known japa syndrome that has plagued our dear state in recent times.
Jigawa State was inarguably one of the states with the best healthcare system and the highest number of practicing medical doctors in Northern Nigeria.
It was at some point in time akin to a medical hub that attracts both patients and medical professionals from neighbouring states owing to its subsidised healthcare, efficient services delivery and overall welfare of health workers and patients.
Since its creation in the early nineties, the state has made giant strides in providing effective and reliable healthcare services to its citizens. Various successive administrations have invested heavily in training medical doctors and other health professionals.
Similarly, the state has commendably been awarding scholarships with bond agreements to both local and foreign medical students since time immemorial. It has produced medical graduates from various reputable institutions within and outside the country.
In addition, it was one of the pioneer States among its peers to implement the sponsorship of Medical doctors through postgraduate medical training programmes to further their studies; a policy that would later be adopted by several other states.
Unfortunately, things have now taken a turn for the worse. At the moment, our healthcare system is not only below standard by all measures but it’s one of the worst in the country. With a patient-doctor ratio of 1:35,000 as against the WHO standard of 1:600, Jigawa State sits at the top of the chart of states with poor health system in Nigeria.
Over the past few years, the state has witnessed an unprecedented mass exodus of medical doctors to other neighbouring states, owing to poor welfare, overburdening workload, inadequate health facilities in hospitals among others. And regrettably, this internal japa syndrome ravaging the state is continuing to overstretch our already fragile healthcare system.
According to data obtained from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Jigawa State branch from 2013 to 2024, of the 264 doctors that reported back to the state for bonding agreement, only 40 stayed after completing their terms.
This is to say; more than 220 medical doctors have left the state to continue their career elsewhere, due to the fact that Jigawa is fast becoming a nightmare and a difficult place for medical doctors.
It is worth noting that during the same period, the state has produced over 500 doctors (both foreign and local trained), but only 214 are now in the state payroll, out of which only 77 are currently manning the state’s primary and secondary institutions and are about to round up their bond agreements by the end of the year; 89 are in training as either house officers or doing national service.
The state has less than 10 consultants and only 12 doctors in residency training. Altogether there are fewer than 100 doctors attending to a population of over 7.5 million people.
This data suggests that while the State is doing a good job at producing Medical doctors (both local and foreign), its retention capacity is however very poor.
It will be left with no medical doctors in the next coming years if things continue at this pace. It has to either employ doctors from neighbouring states or overwork to death the few that stay.
As a concerned citizen, I would implore you to please declare state of emergency on health in Jigawa State. Engage with relevant stakeholders to find a way to put an end to this worsening Japa syndrome wreaking havoc in our dear state.
The most important step to addressing this issue is the urgent need for the improvement of the overall welfare of the few doctors and other healthcare professionals left in the state. This singular act will not only boost the morale of these weary medical professionals and attract others from various states.
In addition, the government should seriously consider the domestication of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) programme, which will help in the training of experts in various medical specialities in the state.
Najeeb Maigatari a medical doctor, wrote from Dutse, Jigawa State
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