A large exodus of Nigerian trained doctors looms as restrictions on international flights are expected to be lifted this week.
According to data from the Medical Council of the United Kingdom, at least 100 Nigerian trained doctors have expressed the desire to migrate to the UK between July and August, despite the ban on international flights.
This number is spate from the 58 doctors prevented from boarding a UK bound flight by the Nigerian Immigration Service for not having the required Visas. The re-opening of the British High Commission in July afforded many Nigerian doctors the opportunity to obtain the necessary documents and move to the UK despite the ban on international flights.
According to a report by Punch, Nigerian trained doctors have been taking advantage of a recent Health and Care Visa Policy introduced by the UK which fast tracks the migration of professional health workers to the country.
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It was also discovered that other destination of choice for Nigerian trained medical doctors include, Canada, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the United States which just started its Visa programme for medical professionals from foreign countries.
According to the first Vice-President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Julian Ojebo, about 4,000 Doctors are set to leave Nigeria between August and December this year, citing a hostile work environment as the major reason for the mass migration.
Giving several examples of professionals leaving the country, Dr. Ojebo said;
“One of the anaesthetists involved in transplant in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital has relocated to Saudi Arabia. One of the best brains in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital has been offered a job for $10,000 in Saudi Arabia. He is leaving immediately after the lockdown.
“A lot of resident doctors are leaving. They have all got jobs in Saudi. The only thing stopping them is the COVID-19 and the flight ban… We are going to have over 4,000 doctors leaving between now and December.
“Out of the 33,000 registered doctors in Nigeria, the ones we have practising in Nigeria are less than 20,000. Over 13,000 are all around the world. Our problem is not education because when we go to saner climes we adapt so well and even do better than those who were trained abroad.”
The doctor said further that Nigerian trained doctors are also moving to smaller African countries like Namibia, Somalia and The Gambia, stating the need for the government to invest in the health sector before the best brains all move abroad.