Public health and community medicine experts have lamented the helplessness felt by practitioners across the country as a result of a lack of medical equipment.
The medical officers expressed regret that “over 50 percent of graduate doctors are outside the country” at the 2023 17th annual scientific conference and all fellows’ Congress (ASCAF) in Ilorin.
“Improving Health Care Financing in Nigeria” was the theme of the conference.
Professor Akinsanya Osibogun, President of the Faculty of Public Health and Community Medicine, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, spoke at the event and urged health management officials to ‘please do the needful’ to reposition public health.
He underscored the long-term effects of brain drain in the country, adding that financial incentives, among other health investments, is the panacea to ‘Japa syndrome’.
He said;
50 percent of our young graduate doctors are already out of the country because of strikes among other issues. But we need them for training to become specialists and remain in Nigeria.
The government alone cannot do it. All stakeholders have to put in place a mechanism to improve the health sector and retain people we have trained by improving their remuneration, work environment and availability of equipment and tools.
The environment must be conducive to keep them in the country. Our challenge recently is not finding enough people to train because of the migration of young doctors, he said.
Professor Osibogun went on to say that there is a global market for skilled professionals in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and other countries worldwide.
Professor Foluwasayo Emmanuel Ologe, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, stated in his welcome address that “the outcome of the conference will have a significant impact on the healthcare system in Nigeria.”
According to Professor Adekunle Bashiru Okeshina, Chairman of the Information and Publicity Protocol Committee, trained specialists can reduce medical tourism in the country.