Only 6,000 consultants remain in Nigeria, according to a report released Friday by the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN).
This was revealed by the association’s president, Prof. Muhammad Mohammad, at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Ilorin, Kwara State.
“Policy Making for Quality Healthcare Services: Engaging Policy Makers for Quality Healthcare Delivery” was the meeting’s theme.
Although data indicated that roughly 1,300 consultants had departed the country in the previous five years, Mohammad clarified that as of February 2024, there were still 6,000 consultants in the country.
Given that medical consultants must retire at age 60, he bemoaned the fact that the number of consultants would continue to decline.
“About 1,700 consultants are above 55 years of age.This means that in the next five years, they are going to leave the services for retirement.”
Mohammed emphasized that as long as the nation only produces one or two consultants annually, the number will continue to decline.
“So you can see that the replacement cannot keep up with the loss from ‘Japa’ syndrome and from retirement.”
In order to resolve the inequalities in medical lecturers’ salaries and their temptation to adopt the “japa” mentality, Muhammad urged the government at all levels to make sure they are placed on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
The focus of the NEC meeting was suitable, according to Dr. Amina El-Imam, the Commissioner for Health in Kwara State, who also noted that the government needed adequate policies to help provide citizens with high-quality healthcare.
The significance of policymaking in healthcare delivery was emphasized by the guest speaker, Dr. Amos Magaji, a politician from Kaduna State’s Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency who serves in the National Assembly.
Doctors should prioritize their health and well-being, according to Prof. Tanimola Akande, a public health specialist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).
He emphasized the importance of exercise, regular, thorough exams, and self-care.
In the past, several policies have been developed with little to no effect on the health of numerous vulnerable persons, according to Prof. Kazeem Ibrahim, the chairman of the local organizing committee for the MDCAN-NEC meeting.
Ibrahim said the gathering would propose solutions to the problems including the “japa” syndrome, which forces health workers to leave the nation because of poor working circumstances.