According to research by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), up to 2,000 doctors have left Nigeria in the past two years, with 800 of them leaving in the preceding eight months on average, in search of “greener pastures.”
Dr. Emeka Innocent Orji, National President, and Senior Registrar, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia, Abia State, said they conducted a study among our members to find out why they are leaving. According to this study, up to 2,000 doctors may have left the country in the past two years, and between January and August of last year, 800 doctors may have done so. There are around 100 doctors per month when using the matrix.
Orji claimed that 4,000 additional people have shown a desire to emigrate.
The head of NARD noted that inadequate pay and assistance were the main drivers of emigration. The economy is horrible for everyone, he continued. But the truth is that these medical professionals are giving it their all and even risking their lives.
The issue of instability and, of course, low job satisfaction are also present. In hospitals, there is not enough equipment to work with. Some people become depressed when they encounter a patient they can treat but are unable to do so due to a lack of infrastructure and medical equipment.
Therefore, they are attempting to get the government’s attention rather than putting pressure on the Nigerian government to cease paying us like they do in America and other developed nations. However, they are aware that even when you compare the salaries of doctors in Nigeria to those in some other nations with comparable economic standing, you will find that the salaries in those other nations are higher. Poor finance is the cause of all these problems.
