Brain drain: Medical students demand improved welfare for doctors

Forum 1 year ago

Brain drain: Medical students demand improved welfare for doctors

The Nigerian Medical Students Association has opposed the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to make it compulsory for graduates in medical and dental fields to work in Nigeria for five years before being granted full license.

The students described the bill as unconstitutional, saying it would deprive Nigerian-trained medical and dental practitioners of their fundamental right to freedom of movement by arbitrarily imposing restrictions on their movement against the provision of Section 41 the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

A member of the House of Representatives from Lagos State, Ganiyu Johnson, who sponsored the bill, said the move was to check the mass exodus of medical professionals from the country.

The legislation is titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to mandate any Nigeria trained medical or dental practitioner to practice in Nigeria for a minimum of five years before granted a full license by the council in order to make quality health services available to Nigeria; and for related matters.’

Nigeria has experienced severe brain drain in recent years with many Nigerian-trained doctors leaving the country to seek greener pastures.

Nigeria is said to have the third highest number of foreign doctors working in the United Kingdom, after India and Pakistan.

While the Federal Government claimed that brain drain was not peculiar to Nigeria, the World Health Organisation warned that this could negatively impact the health system and hinder progress towards achieving universal health coverage and health security.

However, NiMSA in a statement by its President, Ejim Egba, said the proposed bill was unpatriotic, ill-timed and a breach of the fundamental rights of doctors as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended. The association said the bill was aimed at strangulating the medical profession.

The statement noted, “The search for greener pastures abroad can be reduced by making our land and pasture greener, equip our hospitals properly, ensure better treatment for doctors and brain drain will be adequately controlled. Representative Johnson at this point should be steering conversations on medical tourism and not doctors’ slavery.

“We firmly believe that this bill is not the solution to the problem of brain drain, and we stand against it in its entirety in the strongest possible terms.”

He said instead of trying to treat doctors like slaves, lawmakers should focus on creating an enabling environment that encourages doctors to stay and work in Nigeria.

The statement added, “The lack of infrastructure, inadequate and inappropriate remuneration, and poor working conditions are some of the major factors driving medical professionals away from Nigeria. These issues need to be addressed if we want to attract and retain our healthcare professionals.”

It noted that government had no right to force doctors to work in a particular location against their will and that the bill could discourage students from pursuing medical education in Nigeria, which would exacerbate the problem of the shortage of healthcare professionals.

“A better way to bring up the issue of being trained with ‘taxpayer subsidies’ would be to make it optional; the option of paying for medical education at the real cost, the option of obtaining student loans and the option of going for the subsidised medical education with the caveat of staying behind for a certain number of years to ‘pay back.

“Besides, not all doctors in the country are trained on subsidy; one thing the bill failed to capture. Doctors need to have a choice, even before they start their training so they can make informed decisions.

“In conclusion, NiMSA vehemently opposes this bill in part and in one whole. We call on the sponsor of the bill to withdraw it with immediate effect and seek better ways of finding a lasting solution to the problem of brain drain by consultative collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the health sector, coupled with the government’s willingness to address the root causes and underlying issues that drive healthcare professionals away from Nigeria.”