500 medical consultants flee in 2 years
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
About 500 medical consultants have in the past two years left for employment in overseas countries which value and pay well for their services, according to the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN).
MDCAN President Victor Makanjuola made the disclosure at the weekend after the association’s annual general meeting in Benin.
He blamed Abuja for the unresolved problems in the health sector which are compelling droves of healthcare workers to seek greener pastures abroad.
“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,” Makanjuola said.
“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.”
He urged the government to encourage consultants in their 50s and getting closer to their retirement to say back and train the next generation of doctors and medical students.
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Brain drain disaster
“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 hospitals,” Makanjuola warned, per The PUNCH.
He asked the government to raise the retirement age for consultants from 60 to 70 years, and urged private sector stakeholders to venture into medical entrepreneurship with potential to minimise brain drain and encourage brain gain.
Makanjuola lamented that efforts by the government are inadequate to address the challenges in the health sector.
He warned that MDCAN cannot guarantee industrial harmony if the demands of workers are not met in two weeks, and urged Nigerians to intervene to avert an impending crisis.