Accoring to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, Nigeria is facing a significant brain drain in its healthcare sector, with over 16,000 doctors leaving the country in the last five to seven years to seek better opportunities abroad. This exodus has resulted in a substantial loss of $366 million for the nation.
The mass migration of healthcare professionals, including nurses and midwives, is attributed to various factors such as economic opportunities, better working conditions, advanced training, and superior research environments abroad. The doctor-to-population ratio in Nigeria has dropped to 3.9 per 10,000, significantly below the global minimum.
The estimated cost of training one doctor exceeds $21,000, resulting in a massive fiscal loss and reduced capacity in Nigeria's healthcare sector. This trend deeply affects the health systems, leaving many rural communities critically underserved.
To address this challenge, the Federal Government has introduced the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration under the Renewed Hope Agenda. This policy aims to:
- Retain and Motivate Health Workers: Improve working conditions and provide incentives for healthcare professionals
- Establish Ethical Norms: Develop frameworks for recruitment and correct global asymmetries
- Expand Training Capacity: Increase training opportunities to meet domestic and global workforce needs
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has urged Africa to lead in forging a new global compact on health workforce mobility. This compact would focus on:
- Pan-African Training Standards: Establish shared training and accreditation standards
- Shared Planning Tools: Develop common planning tools and data systems
- Continental Negotiating Platforms: Create platforms for negotiation with destination countries
By addressing the brain drain and promoting collaboration among African countries, Nigeria can work towards strengthening its healthcare system and improving patient care .
Page Manager
