The japa wave out of Nigeria is making doctors become as scarce as uninterrupted power supply. Many doctors have seen the benefits of working overseas and refuse to stay and fight sapa in Nigeria.
Even though we can’t blame anyone for wanting to earn their daily $2k, the japa wave of doctors is really causing a serious problem for Nigerians.
How bad is Nigeria’s doctor problem?
Let’s break it down in numbers.
An estimated 217 million people live in Nigeria and they’re all likely to need medical attention at some point. According to the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Uche Rowland, Nigeria currently has 24,000 doctors available. This means there’s one doctor available to treat 9,083 patients.
But according to the World Health Organization, a country should have a ratio of one doctor to 600 people for their medical needs. Going by this recommendation, Nigeria needs at least 363,000 additional doctors in the country.
Excluding witch doctors
According to Rowland, there are some states in the southern region where there’s only one doctor available to treat 30,000 patients. The situation is even worse in some northern states where there’s only one doctor available to 45,000 patients.
He said, “In some rural areas, patients have to travel more than 30 kilometres from their abodes to get medical attention where available thus making access to healthcare a rarity.”
Nigerian doctors are rushing for the door
Even though Nigeria needs more doctors practicing in the country, the ones we already have are looking for work everywhere else. A 2017 survey by NOI Polls revealed that about 88% of medical doctors in Nigeria were seeking work opportunities abroad at the time.
In January 2022, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) said more than 100 of its members left Nigeria within 24 months. A 2022 UK immigration report also showed that 13,609 Nigerian healthcare workers got working visas in the past year, making the country second only to India with 42,966 healthcare workers.
Who will make it stop?
Nigeria faces an existential crisis with the japa wave of doctors. As the country grows in population, more healthcare professionals are needed. The government needs to act fast with favourable policies that’ll make practicing in the country attractive to doctors.
We know our leaders can jump on a plane and run abroad for their medical needs but regular Nigerians deserve access to care too.
