MDCAN warns of adverse impact of brain drain

The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has warned of the dire consequence of the raging brain drain in the health sector.
It regretted that basic and postgraduate medical education is being challenged, hence the need to urgently train more medical doctors across the federation.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Kano, MDCAN’s new president, Prof. Muhammad Aminu Muhammad, cautioned that the Japa syndrome might in no time cripple the entire healthcare system if unaddressed.

Muhammad, who read from the communique reached at the end of 13th Biennial Delegates’ Meeting and Scientific Conference of the association in the ancient city, lamented that several units in the country’s teaching hospitals are being shut down because of migration of highly skilled specialists.

He said with the limited capacity of Nigerian tertiary institutions to produce quality doctors, it would take 10 years to replace the emigrated personnel.

The MDCAN helmsman charged the government to incentivise the industry for medical professionals to stay back. He also advocated improved infrastructure, funding and remuneration.

Muhammad said following the appeal by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Services, MDCAN had resolved to extend its ultimatum by fresh three months to allow the current administration address pending issues.