In Nigeria, doctors are facing an overload of work that is leading to serious consequences. According to the Chairman of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at Osun State Teaching Hospital, Dr. John Ojo, doctors are dying, suffering, collapsing, and taking medication due to work-related stress.
Ojo has called for an upward review of the allowances and consolidated salaries of medical doctors to address the issue. He stated that Nigeria still loses hundreds of doctors annually to brain drain, which only exacerbates the problem. News About Nigeria reports.
Speaking on a radio current affairs program in Osogbo, Ojo revealed that the health sector in Nigeria is on the verge of collapse. In most teaching hospitals, where there should be twenty doctors, there are only two or three working.
The World Health Organization recommends one doctor for every 600 patients, but in Nigeria, the ratio is one doctor to ten thousand patients.
The long waiting time for patients to see a doctor has also increased, causing some to throw tantrums. NARD is pushing for an attractive healthcare system in Nigeria to stop the brain drain and make the country a desirable place for medical professionals to work.
However, the brain drain is not the only concern. The exodus of medical specialists will eventually impact the training of future medical practitioners, as the trainers are leaving along with the younger doctors.
This trend, if not addressed, will have serious consequences for the future of healthcare in Nigeria.
As Ojo queried, “Who is going to be trained, who is going to train who?” It is clear that the issue of work-related stress and the overall state of healthcare in Nigeria needs urgent attention to prevent further loss of medical professionals and ensure a healthier future for the nation.
