The National President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Mike Ogirima has lamented the mass exodus of Nigerian doctors to foreign lands.
He said that no fewer than 300 Nigerian doctors left the shores of the country last year, with the United States and United Kingdom being the top destinations.
Ogirima made this known at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the body in Lagos on Thursday.
He added that more doctors left Nigeria to practise abroad this year, although he did not state how many, although the News Agency of Nigeria reported that 500 doctors sat foreign qualification exams this year alone.
He said, “Nigeria is using her resources to train doctors and professionals at the advantage of foreign countries.What are those things attracting these professionals outside? Can we duplicate those things here?”
Ogirima placed the primary responsibility of providing a conducive working environment for doctors on the government, adding that a lot still needed to be done to check the brain drain.
“The government should provide adequate remuneration.We are not saying we should pay so much, but pay them for the job they are doing as at when due.
“We, on our part as professionals should look inward to change our attitude to patients. We should make patients as the Centre focus of why we are called doctors,” he stressed.
The NMA boss further called for full implementation of the National Health Act of 2014.
It is believed that as many as 35,000 Nigerian doctors are practising abroad, out of the 72,000 registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.