The Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, Kogi state, has lamented the manpower shortage amid the overwhelming workload at the hospital.
The doctors say the manpower shortage is a major issue at the hospital as they have reduced from about 186 to 78 in four years.
Speaking with our correspondent on Friday, the President of ARD at the hospital, Dr Umar Jimoh, decried high work pressure on the available doctors.
“For three to four years, we have experienced a decline in the workforce. I joined the centre in 2019, and in 2020, we had about 186 resident doctors vis-a-vis the Registrar, Senior Registrar, and Medical Officers, excluding the House Officers.
“With the japa syndrome, and residents passing exams and leaving for other centres, the numbers have actually dropped. As we speak, we have barely 78 resident doctors. A department used to have about eight resident doctors in the past, but now a department only has three resident doctors.
“The internal Medicine department only has one registrar, the other cadres are three SRs, and the other two are on outside posting. Family medicine used to have 10 resident doctors, but they have only three now,” he said.
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