Edo State-based medical practitioner, Imafidon Osama Agbonile, weekend said Nigerians were the fourth highest doctors practicing in the United Kingdom.
Agbonile made the disclosure while delivering lecture with the theme “Panacea for brain drain in Nigeria,” at a conference organised by the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Edo State Hospital Management Board branch.
He said the record was contained in the UK register of doctors since 2017, saying over 35,000 doctors had emigrated from Nigeria to Europe, United States of America and Asia countries for medical practice.
The medical practitioner said the development made the country to have less than one doctor to 5,000 population contrary to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) requirement of one doctor to 600 population
“From the various researches carried out, it is estimated that over 35,000 doctors have emigrated from Nigeria in the last 20 years. The rate of migration has tripled since 2015.
“Brain drain is on the increase in Nigeria and over 40 to 60 percent medical graduates of Nigeria practice abroad,” he said.
While calling on the government at all levels to improve healthcare delivery, he noted that Nigeria had a dismal mortality rate for both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
He, however, hinged non-conducive working environment, poor remuneration, inadequate opportunity for research, poor governance/leadership, lack of adequate government policies and implementations as some of the problems responsible for mass exodus of doctors.
Earlier, chairman of the association, Alex Oko, said the conference was part of the professional training for doctors aimed at bringing them up to date with development in the medical profession.
“Professional development is a prerequisite for renewal of our licence to practice. As a responsible association, we organised conferences, get a resource person to give lecture and speak on dynamic issues that affect medical profession directly or indirectly to enhance service delivery,” he said.
