Medical Association Says 500 Senior Doctors Have Left Nigeria

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria has revealed that about 500 consultants in various medical fields have left the service of government hospitals for better opportunities abroad.

This was made known by Dr Victor Makanjuola, the association’s President, on Sunday after a briefing on the resolution reached at the end of the association’s annual general meeting in Benin.

“In the last two years, over 500 consultants have left the services of governments’ hospitals for practice abroad.

"All our government hospitals are consultant-led, which is the global standard practice.

“Now, we lose 500 consultants in just two years and we have found out that those who are more likely to leave are the younger ones,” Makanjuola said.

Speaking on how to sustain the health sector, Makanjuola said the country needs to retain older consultants who are in their 50s and getting closer to their retirement so that they can stay back and train the next generation of doctors and medical students.

“The disaster which brain drain will bring will be doubled because we will lose the younger ones and the older ones will retire about the same time, and unfortunately we will find a medical system without consultants.

"This will affect the standard of health care given by the hospital,” the association’s President said.

He further urged the government to increase the retirement age for consultants in hospitals from the current 60 years to 70 years.