The president, who spoke at the State House in Abuja yesterday while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) led by its president, Osahon Enabulele, said US President Barrack Obama recently confirmed this to him.
Describing the situation as an anomaly, Jonathan regretted that Nigeria was unable to treat many of her sick people in her own hospitals despite her strong human capacity in medicine.
He pledged that his administration would correct the anomaly, saying “there is clearly a missing link somewhere and we’ll do everything possible to fix it. We’ll continue to work with professional bodies and all stakeholders to come up with more policies and actions that will help us overcome current challenges in our medical sector.
The president specifically assured that the government would fully explore the option of creating a special intervention fund that would facilitate the rapid establishment of more centres of medical excellence across the country.
“We’re committed to working with professionals and the private sector to establish better medical facilities in the country and reduce the number of Nigerians who’ve to go abroad annually for medical reasons,” he added
According to him, because of the great importance his administration attaches to the medical and educational sectors, he was determined to do all within his powers to positively resolve all issues that led to labour disputes and strikes in both sectors.
Earlier, Enabulele urged the reconstitution of the main regulatory body in the health sector, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, which was dissolved in 2011, as well as the passage of the National Health Bill and other issues related to the creation of a more conducive operating environment for doctors and other healthcare professionals such as remuneration, welfare and training.
Dr. Enabulele last week exclusively told Daily Trust that two-thirds of registered medical practitioners who leave the country end up practicing medicine in foreign countries while some of them switch professions.
He said of the “71,740 doctors registered with Medical and Dental Council, about 27,000 are practising in Nigeria while others are practising outside the shores of this country.
“Up to 7,000 Nigerian doctors combined work in British and the American public health sectors, while some have left the medical profession on account of better working conditions,” he said.
Source: Daily Trust
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