Some lecturers have advised the Federal Government to increase wages and lift the ban on the recruitment of doctors.
While sharing insights on how the migration of doctors and other health workers to other countries was taking a toll on hospitals across the country, Chief Clinical Oncologist, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Cancer Centre, Prof. Francis Durosinmi-Etti, in an interview with The PUNCH maintained that it was necessary to improve the remuneration of doctors and other health personnels.
“We need to find a way to improve the remuneration of doctors. If I knew that I will be paid four times my salary I would want to go to England. Then something needs to be done. Many people would like to stay here in Nigeria if they can give them a special package, especially for young doctors. The rate of burnout among doctors is alarming when doctors collapse while on duty. It is not about the buildings that make the hospitals but all the people in different departments that make the hospitals. We have to encourage them.”
He added that getting postgraduate students to train in medicine was now becoming difficult as he called on the FG to lift the ban on the recruitment of doctors.
“Although there is a temporary embargo on recruitment of doctors, a lot of doctors are looking for jobs and some are even on temporary employment. The government has to look into this and let them be properly employed. The government should also lift the embargo on recruitment of doctors.”
Also speaking, Dr Dele Ashiru of the University of Lagos also added, “This is a symptom of long years of neglect of those who have been working in those hospitals.
“What they need to do in the immediate is to increase the salaries of those who work there and pay competitive wages as well as robust conditions of service that would stem the drain.”
Durosinmi-Etti also revealed that the memo to universities that medical students admission should be increased would not completely solve the japa challenge.
He said, “Increasing the number of admissions is quite debatable, for medicine, you need to attain a level of qualification in UTME, and others, trying to increase the number of admissions may attract people who do not have the qualifications and you can’t joke with people’s life.
“Regulating councils that accredit and regulate medical school will also decide this because if your facility cannot accommodate the number you want to admit, no need for overcrowding. edicine is not about sitting down in the classroom, you need the facilities.”
Ashiru opined “If they increase the intake and train them the way we have been doing, if there’s no improvement in the working conditions they would still run away.
“The government should just increase wages and improve conditions of service for doctors, nurses, and teachers.”
