The Abuja Branch of the Association of Resident Doctors has expressed worry over the increasing number of unemployed medical practitioners in the country.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday, the President of the association, Dr Roland Aigbovo, said the worsening unemployment was disturbing the association.
He described unemployment as a double-edged sword, saying that “there is unemployment on one hand and underemployment on the other.
“Despite the fact that a lot of doctors of different cadres are churned out annually, the employment rate is still very abysmal and it calls for worry.
“The number of doctors to patients is grossly inadequate.”
According to him, the association is currently talking with its management on how to tackle the problem.
He said that government needed to employ more doctors, pointing out that there were many qualified doctors roaming the streets with no work.
Aigbovo noted that unemployment could be reduced, if states and local government councils could be employing doctors at the various health facilities lying fallow across the country.
He said that the association would continue to discuss with relevant authorities until positive actions were taken by the authorities to reduce unemployment among medical practitioners.
Aigbovo lamented that members of the association were being over-worked and that they were falling ill on a daily basis. (NAN)