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Nigerian medics abroad reject bill seeking to restrict fresh doctors, others from emigrating

By Chukwuma Muanya (Lagos) and Nkechi Onyedika-Ugoeze (Abuja) 
13 April 2023   |   4:27 am
Nigerian doctors abroad, under the aegis of Diaspora Medical Associations (DMA), have petitioned Speaker, House of Representative, Femi Gbajabiamila, rejecting the bill proposed by Ganiyu Johnson (APC: Lagos) that seeks to restrict newly qualified medical doctors and others from leaving Nigeria.

Nigerian doctors abroad, under the aegis of Diaspora Medical Associations (DMA), have petitioned Speaker, House of Representative, Femi Gbajabiamila, rejecting the bill proposed by Ganiyu Johnson (APC: Lagos) that seeks to restrict newly qualified medical doctors and others from leaving Nigeria.

  
Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe and Chairman, House Committee on Health, Dr. Tanko Sununu, were also copied in the letter, dated April 11, 2023.
  
The correspondence, jointly signed by President, Nigerian Doctors’ Forum, South Africa (NDF-SA), Dr. Emeka Ugwu; President, Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), Dr. Chinyere Anyaogu; President, Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain (MANSAG), Dr. Chris Agbo; President, Canadian Association of Nigerian Physicians and Dentists (CANPAD), Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka and President, Nigerian Medical Association-Germany (NMA-Germany), Dr. AlAmin Dahiru, said the bill, which purportedly seeks a way to address the adverse effects of brain drain, might not be the most effective intervention to resolve the situation, adding that it could be counter-productive.

“We recognise the problems posed by exodus of Nigerian medical professionals, including, but not limited, to decreased access to healthcare services, lack of quality care, care delivery, inability to adequately enact healthcare and public health policy due to lack of manpower and leadership resource,” they wrote.
   
The Diasporan Nigerians acknowledged that a medical or dental practitioner is the glue that keeps the team functional and leading force for an effective healthcare delivery system.

Similarly, the doctors said the medical and dental professional bears the burden for systemic failures, resulting in maladaptive structure fostering stress, undue burden, physical and mental anguish, lack of job satisfaction, poor working conditions and much more.

   
The medical professions noted that the major cause of brain drain include a poor care delivery framework arising from failure to invest in healthcare to foster a conducive environment. They said the system does not promote professionalism, growth, work satisfaction or high reliability culture.

Other major drivers, according to them, include poor welfare packages, high level of insecurity, limited employment opportunities, sub specialty training, socio-political and economic instabilities.
  
The doctors said majority of the issues stem from outside healthcare system and are outside of an individual’s control. Indeed, good governance and commitment to future investment in healthcare, they observed, would improve conditions in Nigeria that will allow security, good education for children, improved compensation, as captured in the Abuja Declaration. They said emigration of professionals is not limited to medical and dental practitioners alone.

“So, the question is why is the medical and dental profession being targeted? Focusing on one aspect of a problem without taking a holistic approach for a sustainable solution will be ineffective. Young professionals leave the country in search of better opportunities. Many are frustrated by consequences of governance failures that have progressively worsened over the past 30 years. The unfortunate reality is that the healthcare system is in a state of serious neglect, training and career development opportunities are limited, thus impairing earning potential. Insecurity is rampant. Equity and justice are lacking for the average Nigerian,” the petitioners stated.
   
They said Diaspora Medical Associations had invested in coming up with effective solutions and remained open to similar endeavours.

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