Ngige says Nigerians misquote his statement about doctors’ brain drain

Ngige on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, reportedly said he’s not concerned that doctors are fleeing abroad because Nigeria has more than enough doctors.

However, the minister in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Nwachukwu Obidiwe, in Abuja on Thursday, April 25, 2019, said he was misquoted.

Ngige described the reactions that trailed his statement as unnecessary, saying everything he said was ‘useful and constructive facts’.

Nigerian medical doctors have reacted to the claims that there are enough doctors in the country. (Premium Times) Pulse Nigeria

He said: “I speak from the vantage position of being a medical doctor and member, Nigerian Medical Association, since June 1979 and enriched by my vast knowledge on health administration.

“Having retired as a Deputy Director, Medical Services and Training from the Federal Ministry of Health in 1998, member of Vision 2010 Committee on Health, as well as senior member, Senate Committee on Health 2011–2015.

“Therefore, the truth, no matter how it hurts, must be told and reality, boldly faced. Hence, apart from Nigeria’s non-compliance with the World Health Organisation’s ratio of one doctor to six hundred patients of which I was misquoted, every other thing I said in that interview is an existential reality, useful and constructive facts which every Nigerian that watched the full interview will hardly dispute.

“I invite opinion moulders, especially those who have spoken or written on this issue, to watch the full clip of my interview with the Channels (Television).

“And it is for this reason that I admitted having a little cause to worry about brain drain among medical doctors.

“The fact is that, while the Federal Government has recorded a remarkably steady improvement in our healthcare system, Nigeria is yet to get there.”

Ngige added that at present, Nigeria does not have enough facilities to accommodate all the doctors seeking to do tertiary specialist training (residency) in the teaching hospitals, federal medical centres as well as few accredited state and private specialist centres in the country.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige says Federal Government has recorded a remarkably steady improvement in our healthcare system. (Punch) ece-auto-gen

According to NAN, the minister also noted that roughly 20 percent of the yearly applicants were being absorbed, while the remaining 80 percent tried their luck elsewhere.

He added that most of these rejected applicants usually throng the Federal Ministry of Health and that of Labour and Employment to complain of being illegally schemed out.

In the statement, Ngige further explained that what he meant was that these professionals had the right to seek training abroad to sharpen their skills and become specialists.

“They later turn this problem to a national advantage when they repatriate their legitimate earnings and later return to the country.

“Even where some of these doctors are bonded to their overseas training institutions, examples abound on the large number of them who have successfully returned to settle and establish specialist centres across the country.

“It is, therefore, a question of turning your handicap to an advantage,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association, the National Association of Resident Doctors, the Socio-Economic Right and Accountability Project and human rights groups have replied the minister over the controversial comment.

According to Punch, the NMA president, Dr Francis Faduyile and his NARD counterpart, Dr Segun Olaopa, said Ngige did not have the knowledge of the World Health Organisation’s recommendation on doctor-patient ratio.