The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kwara State chapter, has raised concerns over doctor shortages, poor welfare and alleged unauthorised salary deductions affecting medical practitioners in the state.

The NMA Chairman, Dr Sulaiman Rotimi, disclosed this during activities marking the 2026 Physicians’ Week in Kwara, calling for urgent government intervention.

Rotimi said Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio stood at approximately one doctor to more than 9,000 patients, while some general hospitals had only one or two doctors, forcing them to work long hours and increasing burnout risks.

He alleged that some doctors suffered monthly salary deductions of between N30,000 and N50,000 despite unpaid allowances and poor remuneration, urging the state government to address the concerns.

The NMA chairman called for improved mental health support, confidential medical services, safer workplaces and protection against violence.

In another development NMA has called on the government to pay doctors internationally competitive salaries and improve their working conditions to reduce the number leaving the country.

NMA President, Prof. Afekhide Ernest Omoti, made the call through the Lagos State Chairman, Prof. Sharafadeen Kehinde Okunade, who read his address at yesterday’s press briefing in Lagos for the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed, “Securing the future of medicine in Nigeria”.

Omoti said appeals to patriotism must be backed by decent pay, workplace safety and opportunities for doctors to build their careers in Nigeria.

He urged hospital chief executives to improve safety and working conditions in their institutions, while calling for policies that would encourage doctors to remain in the country.

The NMA president identified excessive workloads, inadequate infrastructure, insecurity, poor welfare and professional burnout as challenges threatening the medical profession.

He said retaining doctors also required opportunities for career development, alongside structured partnerships through which Nigerian doctors abroad could contribute expertise, investment and research to healthcare at home.

To address physicians’ wellbeing, Omoti called for an end to a workplace culture that treated exhaustion as evidence of commitment.