Abuja, Nigeria – In a bid to address the shortage of medical and dental practitioners in Nigeria and discourage the mass exodus of healthcare professionals to more developed countries, the Federal Government has announced plans to double the population of medical and dental doctors from 5,000 to 10,000 starting from the next academic year. This expansion will be achieved by increasing admissions into medical and dental institutions.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, revealed this strategic initiative during the induction ceremony of foreign-trained medical and dental graduates by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in Abuja.
Dr. Alausa emphasized the importance of making the healthcare environment more attractive to retain licensed doctors and other healthcare professionals within the country. He pointed out that the current production rate of just over 3,000 doctors annually in Nigeria is grossly insufficient, necessitating a doubling of the rate of production of health workers.
Furthermore, the Minister expressed the intention to extend similar opportunities to other health professionals, including pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, community health extension workers, radiographers, and more, albeit in phases. He cited a global shortage of health manpower estimated at 18 million people, highlighting the need to address this shortage.
Dr. Alausa also affirmed the ministry’s commitment to advocating for increased funding in the health sector and expanding the value chain to attract international grants and funding.
In his address, he stated, “Attaining the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) requires optimizing health insurance, promoting equitable access, investing in healthcare infrastructure, policy reforms, advocacy for increased funding, implementation of health insurance schemes, health education campaigns, and initiatives to improve equity in access to healthcare services.”
Dr. Alausa advised parents to seek advice from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) regarding the countries to send their children for medical degrees. He stressed the importance of maintaining high standards in medical education to avoid inadequate training and poor performance in board exams.
The Minister urged the inductees to approach their responsibilities with dedication and uphold the integrity of the medical profession.
In response to the brain drain issue, the Registrar of the MDCN, Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi, revealed that the council is taking steps to discourage the emigration of Nigerian doctors. He emphasized the importance of taxpayers’ money invested in training and the need for professionals to serve their communities.
Dr. Sanusi noted that, according to the council’s policy, the inductees are not members of the Association of Resident Doctors, but they retain the right to associate freely as per Nigeria’s constitution.
The induction ceremony saw the enrollment of 189 medical and 16 dental graduates into the medical profession.