Nigeria needs 25yrs to bridge doctor’s shortage – NMA President

The National President of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Francis Faduyile has declared that it would take Nigeria 25 years to produce adequate number of doctors to cater for its population.

With about 3,000 medical doctors being graduated yearly, Faduyile noted that there exists huge deficit in the nation’s health sector due to brain drain problem, adding that the best healthcare practitioners depart the country through migration to more favourable countries.

The NMA President made the assertion at the annual symposium of Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN), in Lagos with the theme, ‘Curbing the high rate of brain drain in the Nigerian health sector “.

He asserted that “Nigeria is losing some of its most educated, talented and professional healthcare practitioners to countries such as Namibia, Senegal, Ghana, United Kingdom, South Africa,” adding that healthcare practitioners in the country are overwhelmed considering that a doctor caters for about 10,000 to 22,000 patients as against a doctor to 600 patients being recommended by the World Health Organisation.