United Kingdom-based Nigerian medical doctor, Charles Ojukwu, has said the number of Nigerian doctors and health workers in other specialties working abroad is underreported.
He, however, attributed the exodus of Nigerians to other countries to hardship and lack of sincerity of purpose.
Speaking with newsmen, yesterday, Ojukwu insisted that the government must develop the culture of sincerity of purpose and committed to fixing basic infrastructure to encourage investors and stem the tide.
Data indicate that Pakistan and Nigeria have the highest number of doctors in the UK, which is about the total number of doctors back home.
Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that Nigeria has a shortage of medical doctors with a physician-to-patient ratio of 4:10,000 patients.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the ratio is 26:10,000 people and 28:10,000 in the UK.
Ojukwu, however, said the mass relocation of health practitioners abroad should not be seen as brain drain but as ‘brain drain to gain’.
He stated: “I would not have statistics on brain drain, but I would use a simple explanation to tell you how this is.” For instance, I work in the emergency department, but there will be a time I would come to work and all the doctors at work that day, about 80 to 90 per cent of them would be Nigerians. It is funny and we look at ourselves and would be like, how?
“So, using that micro statistics from where I work, it is the same spread across hospitals in the UK, where you would have a significant number of Nigerian doctors.”
On the way out, he said: “First, we have to develop the culture of sincerity of purpose and commitment, starting from the governed to those that govern.
“We have to value what we have. Most rich people value to travel abroad for medical treatment on something that can be done here in Nigeria. Second, the government needs to be sincere; that is why I said sincerity of purpose. They need to be sincere and consider WHO’s recommendation for the budget in health.”
Frowning on hospitals’ demand for police reports before treating gunshot victims, he said: “We should not be discussing these kinds of issues in today’s world, if we want to make serious improvements in the health sector. That is why I say there must be sincerity of purpose from the government, because how can you start going to the police to get a record or certificate when somebody may be bleeding.”
On security, he said poverty, lack of access to education and opportunities for a good life should be addressed to distract the youth from criminality.
