‘Brain drain: 400 consultants’ anaesthetists left Nigeria in 2 years’

President of the Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA), Dr. Olubusola Alagbe-Briggs, has said that no fewer than 400 consultant anaesthetists left Nigeria in the last two years, in search of a better practice environment abroad.

Alagbe-Briggs said this Thursday on the sidelines of the 31st Annual Scientific Conference and General Meeting of NSA held in Gombe State, themed “Anaesthesia and the Peri-Operative Care of Patients with Cancers”.

She said anaesthetists are the most desired specialty outside the country because of the peculiarity of their services and within just two years, their membership reduced from 1,200 to 800.

“There is a global shortage of anaesthetists because of the nature of the job, which is intensive, acute and focused. We had about 1,200 members, but now, we are just 800, losing 400 members within two years. And these people (who have left) are the consultants, which are the highest cadre.

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“Those countries that are short of anaesthetists are pulling those here in Nigeria that are not even enough. Unfortunately, not only doctors ‘japa’ from the country but everyone across various fields, but until the welfare of the Nigerian doctors is improved and equipment is available, our experts will keep going out,” she said.

She said the conference was in line with their mandate to ensure continuous enhancement of the knowledge of its members, to help improve the lives of patients and healthcare delivery across the country.

Alagbe-Briggs explained that the main focus of the conference, in accordance with the World Federation of the Society of Anesthesiologists (WFSA), was on anaesthesia and cancer.