Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said Nigeria’s health sector is at the brink of a total collapse, urging governments at all levels to prioritize the welfare of health practitioners.
With specific reference to the “japa” syndrome, which is the compelling factor behind Nigerian doctors’ migration to foreign countries in search of greener pastures, Obasanjo pointed out that the trend is very alarming, stressing that such could lead to complete brain drain in the country.
Obasanjo spoke at the 44th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) held at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Delivering his lecture at the event themed: “Evolving Roles Of Doctors In Healthcare Management and Nation Building”, the former president represented by the FMC’s Medical Director, Prof Adewale Musa-Olomu, lamented that the present economic crisis has contributed to health practitioners seeking greener pasture outside the country.
“Resident doctors constitute the bedrock of whatever medical services any country is offering its citizens and Nigeria is not an exception
“It is therefore very necessary for the government at all levels to ensure that there are good welfare packages for the doctors without whom it will be impossible to render any meaningful service.
“Having seen the amount of work resident doctors are offering in our hospitals, I therefore appeal that we should see to their welfare.
“The rate at which Japa syndrome is affecting our health sector is alarming, a lot of our sub specialties are now under lock and key. We can’t operate in these offices again because the specialists have left the country.”
Governor Dapo Abiodun appreciated the doctors for their contribution to the society irrespective of the challenging environment.
Abiodun, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, urged doctors to protect the environment, pointing out that 30% of environmental problems worldwide are caused by medical waste.
“We doctors need to start paying attention to the environment from the statistics I heard last week, healthcare waste and activities contribute to 30% of environmental challenges across the globe.
“So if we don’t start doing something about the environment then what planet are we leaving for our children? So, I want us to think about our waste, how we can recycle it, how we can go back and be innovative in what we use,” he said.
Earlier, the president of the association, Dele Olaitan stressed that doctors are the backbone of the healthcare system, urging his colleagues to redouble by offering highest standards of medical service to the patients.
