Health

NMA Laments Brain Drain/Poor Pay in Health Sector

By Web News 532

By Olawale Asake

The continued exodus of medical personnel and poor remuneration in Oyo state health sector dominated discussions at the 2025 week of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Oyo state branch held at NMA House, Total Garden, Ibadan. 

In statement heralding the physicians’ week, Chairman of the Association, Dr Happy Adedapo, observed that the few  medical Doctors working at some General Hospitals across Oyo State were being over stretched due to their inadequate number and the increasing number patients they attended to daily. 

He added that, some primary Health Care centre also lacked basic equipment, essential medicines, which had adversely affected expectant and nursing mothers at the grassroots. 

The NMA Chairman, however, urged government to strengthen integrated referral systems linking primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities to provide welfare to medical doctors. 

Dr Adedapo appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently fulfil thebpromise made to Medical Doctors at Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ogbomoso. 

He noted that the annual event would afford the physicians the opportunity to celebrate the resilience of commitment and sacrifice of Nigerian doctors and reflect deeply on the state of the health system.

Edited by Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

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Health

Brain Drain: Compulsory service for doctors, not the answer – ANPMP President

By Web News 561

The Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners, ANPMP, says that a national emergency should be declared in the health sector as against the proposed compulsory five-year service by the House of Representatives.

The National President of the association, Dr Kayode Adesola, made the call in an interview on Monday in Lagos.

Dr Adesola said the proposed bill would have an adverse effect on the health sector as it was premised on the wrong notion that such a measure would solve brain drain in the sector.

He said the proponents of the bill didn’t conduct an in-depth research on the factors driving the brain drain crisis nor engaged health stakeholders on the implications before moving such a bill.

Dr Adesola added that the bill would worsen brain drain in the country as medical doctors don’t need Nigerian license to practice in other countries.

“We keep saying that the health sector needs urgent attention. Our health system is not working and many Nigerians are dying because of the underfunding of the sector”.

“We have teaching hospitals, general hospitals and primary healthcare centres that are dilapidated with outdated equipments”.

“Political leaders are seeking medical treatment abroad while the citizens are left to suffer in a country that has one of the best doctors in the world”.

“Before it was the young doctors leaving but now, the consultants are leaving. Many health workers left because of insecurity, not just poor remuneration or poor working conditions”. He said

He noted that the issue of brain drain was multifaceted and requires a more comprehensive approach to tackle it.

Dr Adesola stressed that declaring an emergency in the health sector would assist to proffer sustainable solutions to attrition of health workers, improved health care facilities, reduced disease burden among others.

It will be recalled that the House of Representatives on April 6, passed for second reading a bill seeking to mandate Nigerian-trained medical and dental practitioners to practice for a minimum of five years in the country, before being granted a full licence.

Sponsor of the bill, Mr Ganiyu Johnson, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Lagos, said the bill seeks to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act 2004, to address the brain drain in the Nigerian health sector.

The Nation/Maxwell Oyekunle

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Politics

Lagos NUJ Chairman Advocates Good Governance to Address Brain Drain in Africa

By Web News 827

Government in Africa must be pressurized to live up to expectation in order to make the continent retain its best brains being lost to other continents in name of greener pastures. 

To do this, the media is in a prime position despite challenges to promote inclusive governance, accountability and rule of law so at to reduce excessive urge in Africans in search for greener pastures elsewhere.

These are the positions of the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, Dr Qasim Akinreti while speaking at an international virtual summit.

Delivering a key note address at the summit that had participants and speakers from different continents, titled “Media Governance and Economic Dynamics”, the NUJ Chairman posited that media must continue to inform, educate and entertain with the purpose of making government and the people accountable for their actions in the best interest of the society and overall public good.

He noted that in some countries, particularly in Europe and America, citizen’s engagements platforms and tools were available to build consensus on public projects, enhance effectiveness and service delivery such that if a public project failed the test of public scrutiny and satisfaction, the contractors were made to refund tax payers money and prosecuted for nonperformance.

“Since it is the rights of citizens to seek for the attainment of good governance at its best for economic prosperity, people migrate there in droves. These countries in Africa, Europe, America, Asia accordingly. Apart from South Africa, Botswana, and Libya before the death of Gaddafi attracted influx of migrants. Rwanda after its prognosis is now a home for good governance and migrants are now interested in living in that country. 

“Surely, the media have assisted greatly to tell stories of successes in good governance, leading to economic prosperity of some countries and the people are determined to migrate there. But the media have failed to tell other challenging lifestyle of these societies, thus given a false hope to the people who are ready to migrate there. 

“The story of equal opportunity in Europe and America are quite fascinating. But racial discriminations are not given more prominence. The Golden Fleece in the Arab world is not too enticing, but the racial inequalities are not given utmost prominence. Unlike in Europe and American where migrants attain citizenship after a long stay or by marriage, the Arab world does not accommodate these opportunities.” he hinted.

Dr.Akinreti charged the media to explore its position as the fourth estate of realm to fight for public good to bring about accountability and good governance.

“The legislature makes the law to guide policies, the judiciary interprets the law and the executive actualizes the law and policies for public interests and public good. A case in point is the Freedom of Information Act, FOI, in Nigeria. This Act gives everyone access to request for information on public policies from agencies and institutions of government. 

“For this discourse on migration, everyone is entitled to full disclosures on the activities of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).

“Then the media must change the narrative, make government accountable to implement people oriented policies that will attract economic prosperity. The nexus between the media, governance and economic development are too germane for addressing the challenges of migration. Journalists owe everyone a duty to ensure sustainable development of our society” he added.

Dr. Akinreti said the society equally owes the media tremendous support and the government must provide a virile such as prompt attention on welfare and other sustainable factors for the media to survive.

Adedayo Adelowo