How to Curb Brain Drain in Nigerian Health Sector – Experts

Immediate past President, HEWAN, Azoma Chike who represented, Chairman, Board of Trustees, HEWAN, Dr. Emmanuel Enabulele (Left) and the Chairman of the occasion and the former President, Association of Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN, Dr. Anthony Omolala (Right) presenting the HEWAN’s Best Beverage Company of the Year Award to representative of Coca-Cola Company, Public Policy Analyst, Coca-Cola West Africa Business Unit, Mr. Emeka Mba (middle) at the event.

To curb brain drain in Nigeria and encourage doctors and other health professionals from Nigeria to stay back in the country and practice their profession, experts have advocated increased budgetary allocation for the nation’s health sector by government.

This advocacy was made by health professionals who spoke at the tenth annual symposium organized by Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) at the weekend in Lagos.

Speaking on the theme of the symposium, “Curbing the High Rate of Brain Drain in the Nigerian Health Sector,” the keynote speaker, President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Francis Adedayo Faduyile, enumerated the causes of brain drain and also proffer suggestion on how to curb the malady.

Dr. Faduyile who blamed government’s lack of interest in health sector revealed that in the entire constitution of Nigeria, the issue of health of the people is mentioned only once, adding that health sector is totally relegated.

The NMA boss said as a result of this, the association is crying aloud to government to let them (government) know that the yearly budgetary allocation for the sector is not enough to take care of health challenges of the people. “Once there is no enough funding for health sector, it will be difficult if not completely impossible for us to have appropriate and adequate facilities, personnel and other infrastructure to take care of the health of the people.”

He informed that in some state of the federation, health workers are being owed up to 12 months salaries, noting that situation like this can discourage workers and make them to look elsewhere in the world to ply their professional trade.

Dr. Faduyile said today in Nigeria doctors and other health professionals are overworked, noting that where they’re supposed be ten doctors, only one is available and blamed government for lack of interest in employing more hands.

“Government is not interested in employing more hands in our public health sector. Our members in these hospitals are overworked and because of this many times are frustrated as a result of the situation.”

He said many doctors have left this country because of inadequate infrastructure and dearth of health equipment in our public hospitals.

“Many of our members have left this country because of lack of functional equipment to serve lives which is their professional mandate. A situation where you watched five or more patients died in your presence when you know how to intervene but there is no equipment for you to intervene, you will be frustrated to leave the system,” Dr Faduyile said.

Other causes of brain drain, he mentioned, are economic uncertainties; lack of safety and security; disharmony among members.

On disharmony among health professionals in the country, he said NMA is working assiduously to ensure peace reigns among its members.

He said the effects of brain drain are numerous, noting that the country will lose skilled workforce; people will lose confidence in the economy and there will be loss of critical health and educational service in the country.

On the advantage, he said, some people migrated to other countries to acquire more knowledge and return back to Nigeria being highly skilled to contribute to the nation’s growth and peoples’ wellbeing.

He posited that in 2017, five countries of the world namely China, India, France, Egypt and Nigeria had the highest remittances back to their home countries.

On the way forward, Dr. Faduyile charged that all hands should be on deck to salvage the situation, adding that government should play their part by providing enabling environment for health workers just as he implored HEWAN to redouble their effort in their reportage of the sector.

In his welcome address, the chairman of the occasion, the former President, Association of Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Dr. Anthony Omolola, advocated that a state of emergency be declared on health sector in respect of lack of availability of health workers in the country.

To curb brain drain in Nigeria, he said the leadership must be willing to do so, adding that what determines the quality of leadership in place is the quality of life of the citizens of that country, and called on government to provide adequate funds for the health sector.

“We must tackle brain drain. Government must provide adequate funds for the funding of health activities in the country. No system will work well without adequate funding. There is gross underfunding in our health sector. There is need for government to increase funding for health sector with deliberate effort,” Dr. Omolola advised.

While calling on government to ensure provision of adequate infrastructure and functional equipment in all our public hospitals in the country, Dr. Omolola expressed regret that working conditions in some public hospital in the country are extremely poor, adding that “something must be done that will help health workers in these hospitals to apply themselves to what they are mandated to do.”

He charged Nigerian government to borrow a leaf from developed countries in order to improve on the health condition of the people. “Government should borrow what is done in other countries such as United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), and China among others in improving the living standard of Nigerians.”

Dr. Omolola who is also the Medical Director of St. Raphael Hospital, Lagos implored government to do everything possible to stop brain drain by encouraging health professionals to stay.

He advocated for a robust working relationship between the Nigerian health sector and HEWAN in order to change the narratives in the country’s health sector.