Brain Drain: Nigeria Will Need 10 Years To Replace 500 Doctors – MDCAN

The President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Prof. Aminu Muhammad, has said that no fewer than 500 medical personnel have fled Nigeria’s shores for greener pastures within Africa and outside the continent.

Muhammad stated this against the backdrop of the association’s findings from 50 out of 80 chapters, which he said would take Nigeria 10 years to replace the 500 Doctors who recently left Nigeria in search of greener pastures.

The president, who was answering questions from journalists shortly after reading the Communique of the Association’s Biennial Delegates Meeting in Kano on Sunday noted that the worrisome departure of Specialists out of the country painted a bleak future for the country’s health sector.

He highlighted that records available revealed that over 500 Medical Consultants have relocated out of the country to seek better opportunities elsewhere.

He noted that Nigeria has continued to produce the finest and highest number of clinical experts, graduates, and postgraduates in Sub-Saharan Africa, who are currently making giant strides globally.

The communique called for collaboration among teaching hospitals, universities, and regulatory organisations, which has contributed to the inability to maximise the potential for raising the quality of medical students.

Furthermore, the communique urged the government to organise all stakeholders to restructure Nigeria’s healthcare system by providing affordable and accessible healthcare delivery in the country.

The communique read in part, “Medical education is under threat, mainly due to the largest number of specialists and trainers migrating to other climes.”

“The challenges of brain drain in the health sector have remained unabated with the migration of highly skilled health care professionals not only out of Africa but, also to neighbouring west Africa”

“Government is urged to, as a matter of urgency, provide holistic solutions to the challenges of brain drain, which should include an incentive that encourages retaliation of the already depleted health care human resources in Nigeria,” it said.