Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, has raised the concern over how healthcare practitioners are leaving the country in droves, saying that, only 6,000 consultants are remaining in the country
President of the association, Prof. Muhammad Mohammad, revealed this in Ilorin on Thursday during the association’s National Executive Council, NEC meeting tagged “Policy Making for Quality Healthcare Services: Engaging Policy Makers for Quality Healthcare Delivery.”.
He revealed that 6,000 consultants remain as of February 2024, decrying that data showed that about 1,300 left Nigeria in the last five years.
He expressed the believe that the number will continue to reduce as the retirement age for medical consultants is 60 years.
Muhammad reiterated that the number of consultants would continue to reduce, as long as the country produces only one or two per annum.
“So you can see that the replacement cannot keep up with the loss from ‘Japa’ syndrome and from retirement,” Mohammed stated.
He however lauded the government for its efforts toward finding solutions to the challenges.
He further called on government at all levels to ensure medical lecturers are placed on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, to address disparities in their emoluments.