My people, e don reach time wey we go talk serious matter about our healthcare system for Naija. Naija wey dey already struggle, now our doctors don dey waka japa finish! E shock you? E shock me too!
As per latest gist from PUNCH HealthWise, we gatchu only 40,000 licensed doctors for this our big Naija wey get over 220 million people. E mean say, we need about 300,000 doctors to balance the equation, but wetin we see na different story.
For 2024, Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Pate, don tell us say we even get 55,000 doctors, but since then, na about 16,000 don pack their load comot Naija! Abeg, wetin happen? Na serious wah!
Even Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, don raise alarm say the number of practicing doctors don drop wahala from 55,000 to just 40,000. Na wah! And dem say Lagos get around 30 million people for population. Can you believe say na only 7,000 doctors dey serve them? That one na big wahala o!
Abayomi talk say Lagos need extra 33,000 doctors sharp-sharp to fit take care of their people well. Chai! E mean say doctors no dey reach everywhere! How these guys go fit do their job without enough hands?
Dem don even create new University of Medicine and Health for Lagos wey go dey produce 2,500 health workers every year, but no be for tomorrow, na five years we go dey wait. While we dey wait, people go dey fall sick.
This japa syndrome wey everybody dey talk about don really scatter the place. Infact, 88 percent of Nigerian doctors wan go abroad as per survey wey show say dem dey gree find better working condition and pay. E no clear that these oyinbo countries dey come directly recruit our doctors! Wetin we go do now? Na serious matter o!
Prof. Bala Audu, the president of Nigerian Medical Association, don point finger say we don turn to recruitment center for foreign countries. Dem dey offer better conditions while we dey suffer for here. Chai! Every day, our specialists dey waka japa, while we still dey carry our buba and wrapper dey give birth. Na wetin be this? The mortality rate still dey high, and doctors wey suppose help don japa.
As the problem dey vex everybody, some people don even talk say if this japa matter no gree reduce, e go take us 20 years to train enough health workers to fit cover the gap! Wetin we go tell our people wey dey fall sick if this japa no fit stop?
Abeg, Prof. Mike Ogirima don burst our brain with the current naija doctor-to-patient ratio wey don turn disgrace: one doctor dey handle about 8,000 patients. Meanwhile, World Health Organisation dey talk say make we get one doctor to 600 patients. Na where we dey forget for government people sef?
As we dey shine eyes, doctors dey call for urgent reforms! Them dey urge government make dem invest in health workers’ training, improve welfare, and give dem modern equipment, before dem go japa finish! Di ball dey your court, Mr. Government!
If dem no act fast, we go dey listen to more wahala as our healthcare system dey face more crisis. E no go better if everybody just dey waka with dem degree! Make we hope sey dem go change the narrative before e too late. Naija, we fit do better!
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