Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Kaduna State chapter, has warned that the exodus of doctors and other medical personnel leaving to other states and countries for greener pastures could seriously affect the healthcare delivery in the state, if not checked immediately.
The association observed that about 60 per cent of doctors serving in the state have left to other states or other countries in search of greener pastures.
Addressing newsman on the activities of this year’s Annual General Meeting of the association, its state chairman, Dr. Stephen Akau Kache, said, “This we have found to be direct consequence of poor remuneration, other factors include poor working conditions, having to work extra hours due to low manpower and in some cases lack of career progression.”
He added, “On a general note, however, across all health institutions in the state the situation is similar to the national picture, whereby there is an exodus of doctors to other countries for a variety of reasons with a resultant shortage in the number of doctors available to treat patients within the country.”
With the problems enumerated above, Dr. Kache explained that it becomes the biggest challenge that is affecting the ability the remaining health personnel to achieve the desired health outcomes due to the internal and external brain drain that has become the order of the day in the state.
He said that in Kaduna State, it has become the order of the day that medical personnel employed in the state experienced very low employees coming to take up their appointments while others completely do not come to take their offer of employment.
He explained, “Most of the newly employed medical personnel prefer going to other states within the north to take up employment where the conditions of service is far better than what Kaduna state offers.
“It, therefore, affects the quality of healthcare delivery being offered in the state as most of those employed have to go through some experience before being able to offer qualitative service.
“With improved conditions of service, it will go a long way to solve so many problems the healthcare in the state is going through coupled with some achievements made by the El-Rufai’s led administration. This will no doubt go a long way to realize the dream of the state.”
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