Health
Addressing Inadequate Number Of Doctors In Nigeria
Governor Nyesom Wike admires a child born during the inspection tour of General Hospital, Bori.
Concerned Nigerians
note that the number of doctors in the healthcare centres across the country is inadequate considering the nation’s population estimated at more than 170 million.
They opine that the Nigerian situation in this regard does not represent the recommendation of the World Health Organisation (WHO) that there should be one doctor, at least, to every 600 patients.
Expressing concern about the inadequate number of doctors, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, says that no fewer than 35,000 medical doctors are presently practising in the country in spite of the size of its population.
But medical experts insist that massive exodus of medical professionals from Nigeria in search of greener pastures in foreign countries is the cause of the shortage of medical doctors.
The Chairman Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Lagos chapter, Dr Anthony Omolola, noted that the brain-drain problem could be checked if the government improved on the welfare package of doctors in the country.
He admitted with an analyst’s view that, “there is a disproportionate concentration of medical professionals in urban areas.”
Omolola also advised that Nigerian government should give more attention to primary healthcare to reduce disease burden in the society.
Sharing similar sentiments, the former National President of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Osahon Enabulele, said poor human resources planning and unsatisfactory working conditions, among others, were responsible for the dearth of medical personnel.
According to him, because of inadequate infrastructure and remuneration packages, a sizeable number of physicians, nurses and other medical professionals are moving out of the country in droves.
“Most of these doctors are presently working in U.S., UK, South Africa and other neighbouring African countries, where medical personnel are treated better,” he observed.
“In addition, more than 100,000 applicants show interest in studying medicine and surgery annually but less than five per cent gets admission.
“Universities cannot admit more than a certain quota based on the policy of Nigerian University Commission (NUC).
“This is due to lack of infrastructures in our universities but the onus lies on the government to increase funding for education to put in place requisite facilities.
“This in turn would increase the number of applicants admitted to study medicine, increase the number of medical graduates and reduce the current doctor-patient ratio,” he said.
Enabulele urged the Federal Government to increase budgetary allocation for residency programme of young doctors and improve salary and welfare packages of medical personnel to make those that are qualified stay in the country.
He said Nigeria had shortage of specialist doctors because the appropriate authorities placed little or no importance on training of doctors and other health professionals.
“The ratio of patients to doctors in Nigeria is appalling. It is about one doctor to 8,000 people; in U.S. and UK, it is one doctor to 100 people,” he said.
Expressing concern about shortage of doctors in Nigeria, a consultant neurosurgeon, Dr Biodun Ogungbo, said there were 50 neurologists and 40 neurosurgeons in the country — doctors who specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the nervous system.
“This shortage of neurologists means that Nigerians do not have access to neurological services. Even if they do, it will be expensive and unaffordable to most people,” he said.
Further to this, observers note that there is only one diagnostic centre in the country at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, where the elderly –aged 65 and above — can receive specialist attention.
They note that Nigerian medical doctors also prefer popular areas of medicine such as obstetrics, gynaecology and surgery, the development, they believe, has contributed to inadequate personnel in healthcare.
But a gynaecologist in Abuja, Dr Nathaniel Adewole, gave other reasons for shortage of medical doctors
“Many students study the profession against their desire, so some went into business after the training.
“Also, some female doctors, due to marital issues, could decide not to practise medicine as it would affect the family life,” he observed.
He also decried lack of space in the government hospitals, insisting that none availability of enough accommodation had posed problem for some young doctors to do internship.
“Space is the major barrier for graduated doctor to do their internship, once there is space they will be taken; so it is done batch by batch,” Adewole explained.
This, notwithstanding, analysts opine that to meet the recommendation of WHO, Nigeria needs 283,308 additional doctors to maintain standard healthcare of its population.
Medical experts, therefore, appeal to the three tiers of government to address the deteriorating working conditions of doctors and dentists in primary and secondary healthcare by upgrading facilities in their domain.
Nwachukwu writes for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Jacinta Nwachukwu
Two United States scientists who unraveled the human micro RNA have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the coveted prize for their work on microRNA as their discoveries help explain how complex life emerged on earth and how the human body is made up of a wide variety of different tissues.
MicroRNAs influence how genes – the instructions for life – are controlled inside organisms, including humans.
Every cell in the human body contains the same raw genetic information, locked in our DNA.
However, despite starting with the identical genetic information, the cells of the human body are wildly different in form and function.
The electrical impulses of nerve cells are distinct from the rhythmic beating of heart cells. The metabolic powerhouse that is a liver cell is distinct to a kidney cell, which filters urea out of the blood.
The light-sensing abilities of cells in the retina are different in skillset to white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection.
So much variety can arise from the same starting material because of gene expression.
The US scientists were the first to discover microRNAs and how they exerted control on how genes are expressed differently in different tissues.
The medicine and physiology prize winners are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
They said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“It is now known that the human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun acting to curb effects of antibiotic pollution.
The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) taking place on 26 September 2024.
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Despite high antibiotic pollution levels being widely documented, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. In addition, once distributed, there is a lack of information provided to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are not used, for example, when they expire or when a course is finished but there is still antibiotic left over.
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for AMR ad interim.
Globally, there is a lack of accessible information on the environmental damage caused by manufacturing of medicines.
“The guidance provides an independent and impartial scientific basis for regulators, procurers, inspectors, and industry themselves to include robust antibiotic pollution control in their standards,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “Critically, the strong focus on transparency will equip buyers, investors and the general public to make decisions that account for manufacturers’ efforts to control antibiotic pollution.”
In a concerted effort to curb brain drain, the Kebbi State Government has harmonised medical doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues in the federal government’s tertiary health facilities.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
Inusa Isma’il, according to a statement by Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the essence of the harmonisation was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, the doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the release of the vehicles was in fulfilment of Governor Nasir Idris’ promise to uplift health care services in the state.
“His Excellency said I should inform you, the beneficiaries of this gesture, that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It should not be used for anything else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6 pm. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
The benefiting health facilities included Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi; State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo; General Hospital, Argungu; General Hospital, Yauri; General Hospital, Zuru; and General Hospital, Bunza.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for the onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The permanent secretary attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centres, where they can get such help,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Commissioner for Information and Culture Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed expressed gratitude to the governor for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the government in the last year, including beautification of the state capital, completion of a multimillion-naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities, among others.