West African Physicians decry exodus of young Doctors

From Femi Oyelola kaduna
Attn: News Editor

The West African College of Physicians (WACP) has lamented high rate at which Nigerian and African trained young Doctors are leaving the continent to seek greener pasture in advanced countries.
The Vice President of the college, Professor Abel Onunu made the lamentation in Kaduna yesterday while addressing journalists ahead of the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the college starting in Kaduna on Tuesday.
Professor Ununu said Nigeria spends huge resources to train the doctors who later move to countries that have not invested a dime in their training.
The Professor who is a veteran medical practitioner expressed fear that, there may come a time when Nigeria will lack adequate competent hands to manage its health sectors, especially when old hands like must have retired.
He also lamented the high rate of medical tourism in the country, blaming it on lack of infrastructural development in the health sector.
According to him, Nigerian medical practitioners are among the best in the world and can handle any medical case no matter severe, but they are incapacitated due to obsolete or lack of infrastructure.
“We have over 3000 Nigerian Doctors in the United State alone and they are doing very well. In fact, some of those who go on medical tourism abroad are often surprised when they get there and meet Nigerian Doctors attending to them.” He said.
He therefore identified massive investment in healthcare infrastructures, as well as training and retraining of practitioners as ways out of the problem.
Prof Ununu also assured that, the meeting which has ‘Enhancing Performance of Health Care System in Nigeria’ as it theme will be discussing the challenges of the health sector, with a view of finding lasting solutions to them.