Nigeria’s hospitals may be empty of health professionals within two years, CMDs warn

Wednesday, 22 January 2025 04:22

Nigeria’s hospitals may be empty of health professionals within two years, CMDs warn

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Nigeria’s hospitals may be empty of health professionals within two years, CMDs warn

Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of University Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) in Nigeria have raised concerns over the alarming rate at which doctors, nurses, and other skilled health workers are leaving the country due to poor remuneration and working conditions. They warned that if this trend continues, tertiary healthcare facilities across the nation could face a severe workforce crisis within the next two years.

The CMD of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Wasiu Adeyemo, and the CMD of University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Jesse Abiodun, sounded this alarm during the 2025 budget defence session before the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions.

Adeyemo highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating:

“Resignations occur almost daily, not even retirements. If this continues, in the next one or two years, our hospitals will be empty. While the government has invested significantly in infrastructure, it will all amount to nothing without addressing the poor remuneration of healthcare workers. Consultants are earning less than $1,000 monthly, which is a major reason for the exodus.”

Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, Emeka Ayogu, echoed these concerns, attributing the mass exodus—commonly referred to as the “Japa syndrome”—to economic hardship, inadequate salaries, and poor working conditions. He noted:

“The money paid to doctors is insufficient to sustain them. Many leave for better opportunities abroad, not just because of poor pay but also due to unfavorable working environments. While judges recently received a 300% salary increase and military retirees were given benefits like bulletproof vehicles, retiring doctors, even after 30 to 35 years of service, are left struggling financially. This disparity is deeply troubling.”

Ayogu stressed the need for urgent reforms to prevent a further decline in Nigeria’s healthcare system, calling for improved remuneration, better working conditions, and the provision of necessary equipment and facilities to retain healthcare professionals.

The CMDs and NMA officials have urged the government to prioritize the welfare of healthcare workers, warning that failure to address these issues could lead to a collapse of the country’s tertiary healthcare system.