As President Bola Tinubu commemorated his first year in office on Wednesday, prominent figures in the healthcare field have highlighted brain drain as a significant barrier impeding the delivery of quality healthcare services to Nigerians.

Reflecting on the President’s inaugural year, senior healthcare experts and leaders noted Tinubu’s commendable health policies and the appointment of an experienced health professional as the health minister. However, they emphasized that the pervasive brain drain in the sector remains unchecked.

While acknowledging that the President cannot prevent Nigerian-trained doctors and healthcare workers from seeking opportunities abroad, the physicians suggested that Tinubu could mitigate this exodus by enhancing remuneration packages and improving working conditions.

They cautioned that unless the President addresses the factors compelling professionals to leave, the health sector may continue to grapple with extensive brain drain, leading to department closures at tertiary hospitals and limited access to specialized care for ailing Nigerians.

Assuming office on May 29, 2023, with his “Renewed Hope Agenda,” Tinubu asserted his administration’s commitment to prioritizing and enhancing Nigeria’s healthcare sector through substantial investments and increased funding allocations.

Recognizing healthcare as a fundamental human right, Tinubu outlined plans for a comprehensive overhaul of physical infrastructure, equipment upgrades, and the retraining of frontline healthcare workers commencing in 2024.

Many viewed the Renewed Hope Agenda and the appointment of Prof Ali Pate as the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare as indicative of the government’s dedication to tackling the issues fueling the emigration of Nigerian healthcare professionals. Pate’s appointment garnered praise from stakeholders in the health sector for his esteemed reputation as a globally acclaimed medical expert.

Upon assuming office, Pate unveiled a four-point agenda to revitalize the sector, vowing to counteract brain drain in healthcare. He affirmed that the current administration was diligently working to reverse brain drain, enhance the healthcare sector, and instill pride in Nigerian medical practitioners.

The minister highlighted plans to formulate and execute deliberate policies and initiatives addressing inadequate funding, brain drain, inadequate facilities, outdated equipment, and workforce shortages, particularly in rural regions.

However, a year into office, WAKADAILY REPORTS that some healthcare leaders evaluating the President’s performance in the sector noted that while Tinubu has formulated promising policies, particularly concerning funding, there is a need for time to implement them effectively.

They urged swift action against brain drain, which they emphasized had reached alarming levels, resulting in unfortunate consequences for patients lacking access to specialized care.

In a discussion with our correspondent, Prof Mike Ogirima, a former President of the Nigerian Medical Association and a distinguished Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery Professor, commended the President and his health ministers for their efforts in the healthcare sector.

He underscored the impact of the massive migration of Nigerian healthcare professionals on the dwindling workforce in public hospitals, emphasizing that the shortage of medical personnel did not arise suddenly.

He said, “They have a pass mark because the minister of health is well exposed, well trained and he has mapped out his strategies which he is implementing systematically to get results.

“The main challenge is the brain drain which is popularly known as japa syndrome. I think the health sector is the worst hit. As a professor of orthopaedic surgery, for example, there are surgeries I did 20 years ago to teach my younger ones –the residents. Because the younger ones are not available, I am back doing those surgeries now.

“So, there is brain drain; there is fatigue of health workers  and that is why the health workers are frustrated in terms of the limited number of human resources.”

According to Ogirima, recent, Nigeria has a doctor-to-population ratio of one doctor to 8,000 population, instead of one doctor to 600 people as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

“That is why when you go to the hospital, the doctors you meet there are tired”, he added.

The large-scale departure of healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, has become a critical problem in the country, leaving the health sector in a vulnerable state.

This exodus has resulted in a severe shortage of healthcare workers, which compromises the quality of healthcare services nationwide.

In September 2023, the Minister of Health highlighted the urgent need for approximately 400,000 additional health workers to adequately address the healthcare needs of the Nigerian population, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

On the issue of funding Ogirima, who is also the Provost, College of Health Sciences, Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, said, “ The National Health Insurance Authority is doing a lot of things to increase coverage from the present seven per cent.

“ We need more sensitisation; it is the only chance we have to sustain services. So they must sensitise the populace that it is a compulsory programme. Everybody must key in.

With monitoring of services rendered, the minister should come up with strategies to evaluate the specialists—the doctors, nurses, and other health workers on the quality of the job done and the amount of energy spent and they should be well remunerated. Of course, the minister of health is trying on the issue of remuneration and that is why overall, I will score him a pass mark.”

The don emphasized the importance of effective health insurance, calling it a “game changer” that could significantly improve healthcare outcomes.

Additionally, he advised the Federal Government to thoroughly investigate the factors driving Nigerian-trained healthcare professionals to seek opportunities in developed countries and address these issues comprehensively to stem the brain drain.

“They have to look at what is attracting them, what we call the pull or push factors. The working environment must be improved and there must be availability of working tools.  We need to look at health insurance, it is going to be the game changer. It is the game changer everywhere so that we can reduce out-of-pocket healthcare payments to the barest minimum”, the surgeon stated.

Nigerian healthcare professionals, including medical doctors, are leaving the country in large numbers to pursue opportunities in developed countries like the UK, Canada, the US, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and others.

A 2017 survey found that a staggering 88% of Nigerian medical doctors were seeking to emigrate for work.

Dr. Osahon Enabulele, a former President of the World Medical Association, emphasized the urgent need to address this brain drain and protect Nigerians from the financial burden of healthcare costs, as well as staff shortages in healthcare facilities, which can have devastating consequences.

Enabulele, a past president of NMA, elaborated, “ It is no longer news that in some hospitals even in big-time hospitals you have several departments being closed down because of the whole challenge of the japa syndrome- the whole brain drain phenomenon. How do you talk about healthcare security?

“How do you talk about the safety and security of healthcare workers who are supposed to be at the point of care in terms of delivery services?

“So, we have an emergency on our hands. But I think the Federal Government has gotten it right in terms of committing itself to undertake some levels of rescue operations to redirect the futures of the healthcare system.”

The chief consultant physician urged the Federal Government to walk the talk and address the challenge of brain drain in the health sector.

“They need to walk the talk and I think that is very important to turn around the healthcare futures of our country”, he Noted.