The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Bala Audu, has revealed the deterioration of Nigeria’s doctor-patient ratio, significantly lagging behind the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations.
Prof. Audu made the revelation while speaking at a media conference on the state of the nation’s health sector in Abuja on Wednesday.
He stated that the doctor-patient ratio is now approximately 1000% below the WHO’s recommended standard.
The doctor-patient ratio in Nigeria
“The doctor-patient ratio is about 1,000% less than what the WHO recommended.”
“This deficit is primarily driven by the brain drain of healthcare workers, commonly referred to as the ‘Japa Syndrome,” Audu remarked.
He cited inadequate equipment, worsening insecurity, poor working conditions, and subpar salary structures as the main factors driving healthcare professionals abroad.
“Recently, a survey conducted at a medical school asked new graduates whether they would stay in Nigeria or prefer to leave. The results were predictably disheartening,” he noted.
“The situation is worsening, but it is something we can mitigate.”
The brain drain, according to Audu, has severely depleted the country’s healthcare manpower, leaving a dwindling number of healthcare providers to cater to an increasing population under more challenging conditions.
This has resulted in an excessive workload for those who remain, striving to maintain quality healthcare standards.
“This excess workload requires every healthcare provider in the country to do significantly more to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare acceptable to all Nigerians,” he explained.
Audu emphasized the need for immediate measures to improve the well-being of health workers, provide a better working environment, and implement housing schemes for doctors to reverse the exodus.
“Beyond improving their take-home package, which is crucial, we must also ensure healthcare providers have access to quality healthcare and education for their children. When better opportunities arise elsewhere, there is a strong tendency for them to leave.”
He also highlighted the importance of a friendly workplace environment, noting that attacks on healthcare providers, often by patients’ relatives due to inadequate infrastructure, are a significant concern.
“Improving healthcare facilities is essential,” he said.
What you should know
Commending the Federal Government’s strategy to address the healthcare workforce shortage by doubling the enrolment quota for medical, nursing, and other health professional schools, Audu stressed that success in this initiative requires substantial improvements in training facilities.
“For instance, if a medical school previously admitted 200 students yearly and now plans to admit 400, it must double its accommodation and training facilities to maintain quality,” he stated.
“Internship training regulations require house officers to reside within the hospital, necessitating adequate accommodation provision.”
Highlighting the significant investment Nigeria makes in training healthcare professionals, Audu expressed concern over the lack of immediate employment for graduates.
“If we don’t employ them promptly, other countries will, given the high demand for health professionals.”
These issues, he added, are being discussed with the government to ensure improvements, enabling Nigeria to continue producing high-quality health professionals for both the country and the global market.
In May, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, announced an increase in the enrolment quota for medical, nursing, and other health professional schools from 28,000 to 64,000 yearly as part of efforts to mitigate the brain drain in the health sector.