The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has stated that less than half of the total number of doctors registered with the Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) are practising in the country.has stated that less than half of the total number of doctors registered with the Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) are practising in the country.
This was stated on Friday by NMA president, Innocent Ujah in his address at the virtual eighth biennial and scientific xonference and annual general meeting of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Kaduna state chapter.
He also called on the federal government to look into establishing an institution like the Bank of Industry (BoI) in the health sector as part of efforts to boost service delivery.
The mandate of the BoI is to provide “financial assistance for the establishment of large, medium and small projects as well as the expansion, diversification and modernisation of existing enterprises; and rehabilitation of existing ones”.
According to Ujah, such a bank will provide support for private health practitioners and also curb brain drain.
“We have seen how the Bank of Industry and Bank of Agriculture are transforming the industrial and agricultural sector,” NAN quoted him as saying.
“It is time that the gesture is extended to the health sector to boost service delivery and curb brain drain and health tourism.”
While noting that 40,000 doctors are practising in the country out of over 80,000 who registered with the MDCN, he expressed concern about the “lack of investment” in the health sector, adding that “paucity of equipment and frequent strikes’ prevent health practitioners from carrying out their duties efficiently.
“The current doctor to population ratio in the country is about one doctor to between 4,000 and 5,000 population,” he said.
