Key highlights
- The Diaspora groups said the Bill is counterproductive and does little to address lingering issues in Nigeria’s healthcare.
- They added Nigerian Medical professionals, face multiple issues in our health system, including, decreased access to healthcare services and lack of quality of care.
- Bill has passed the second reading in the House of Reps and is sponsored by Rep. Abdulganiyu Johnson (APC-Lagos).
Nigerian Doctors in the diaspora have condemned the proposed Bill which seeks to ban Nigerian doctors from leaving Nigeria after a period of 5 years.
This was disclosed in a letter signed by multiple Nigerian Medical Diaspora groups comprising of of the Nigerian Doctors’ Forum, South Africa, Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas,, Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain, Canadian Association of Nigerian Physicians and Dentists and the Nigerian Medical Association-Germany.
The letter was sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, titled “Re: A Position Statement From Diaspora Medical Associations- Bill Seeking to Restrict Newly Qualified Medical Doctors and Dentists from Leaving Nigeria” disclosed by NAN.
Poor policy
The Diaspora Medical Groups revealed that the bill, which purportedly seeks a way to stem the brain drain in the health sector, may not be the most effective intervention to resolve the situation, adding it is counterproductive towards solving Nigeria’s health issues
The letter was signed by Dr Emeka Ugwu, the President, of the Nigerian Doctors’ Forum, South Africa, Dr Chinyere Anyaogu, the
President, of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas, and Dr Chris Agbo, the President, of the Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain.
Also, signatories to the letter include Dr Nnamdi Ndubuka, the President, of the Canadian Association of Nigerian Physicians and Dentists and Dr Al Amin Dahiru, the President, of the Nigerian Medical Association-Germany.
Health services
They also said they recognise the problems posed by the exodus of Nigerian medical professionals from our health system, including, but not limited to decreased access to healthcare services and lack of quality of care, adding:
- “Care delivery deserts the inability to adequately enact healthcare and public health policy due to lack of manpower and leadership resources.
- “The medical or dental practitioner is the glue that keeps the team functional and the leading force for effective healthcare delivery system.”
They urged that diaspora healthcare workers would be willing to return to Nigeria if an enabling environment exists, reversing the trend and helping to solve the problem.
Backstory
The House of Rep member, who sponsored a bill to ban Nigerian doctors from leaving Nigeria, before working for five years said the bill was necessitated by the crisis in Nigeria’s health sector.
Rep. Abdulganiyu Johnson (APC-Lagos) revealed the bill was sponsored as a response to the rising manpower crisis in Nigeria’s health sector, he adds the bill was not meant to prevent anyone from travelling abroad and also not an attempt to impede human rights.
Media reports state that the bill seeking to mandate Nigeria-trained medical and dental practitioners to practice for a minimum of five years in the country before being granted full license passed the second reading in the House of Representatives on April 6, he said:
- “Our population is more than 200 million and the number of medical doctors we have is about 10,000. If care is not taken may be herbalists will have to take over and be treating our people.
- “We have a crisis already and how do we mitigate it? Let us increase the number of years they (doctors) will get their licenses and this is not to stop them from traveling abroad.
- “The five years include their national service and housemanship period, which amounts to three years and it is a way of promoting professionalism. You can register for your residency and engage in hospital services.
Nigeria cannot afford to continue to subsidize the training of doctors and other healthcare workers for the US, UK, Canada, and other rich (or richer) nations.
A relatively simple solution is to charge the SAME/SIMILAR FEES IN NIGERIAN MEDICAL SCHOOLS AS IS CHARGE IN SCHOOLS ABROAD. Thereafter, doctors who elect to remain in Nigeria post-graduation can have their fees reimbursed (or educational loans forgiven) over a 5-year period.
Increased revenue from tuition should also be used to INCREASE wages for lecturers, and may even be enough to invest in upgrading health facilities and/or working conditions. It’s a win-win-win for all and no-one is held “hostage”, while japa doctors can pay the REAL cost of the benefits they enjoy.