No More 5,000: FG Increases Medical Student Admission to 10,000
- FG is planning to increase the number of student admissions in medical institutions from 5,000 to 10,000
- This follows the earlier report of doctors shortage in the country with many leaving the country
- Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare said the annual production of over 3,000 doctors is inadequate
The Federal Government has put initiatives in place to increase admittance into medical and dental institutions. It stated that the population of physicians in medicine and dentistry will be increased from 5,000 to 10,000 in the next academic year.
At the induction ceremony for graduates of overseas medical and dental schools held by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, revealed this.
This is coming after the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) revealed that only 10,000 medical doctors are left in the country.
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria’s annual production of Doctor Woeful
According to Alausa, improving the healthcare environment would deter the emigration of licensed physicians and other healthcare workers to more developed nations.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
According to a BusinessDay report, he asserts that Nigeria's annual production of just over 3,000 doctors is still woefully insufficient and that there is a pressing need to quadruple the rate at which health professionals are produced.
He stated:
“Equally, we shall expand these opportunities to all other health professionals like pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, community health extension workers, radiographers, and others. Although, this will be in phases. We shall create room to produce more and excess because globally, there’s a shortage of health manpower which has been estimated at a shortage of 18 million people,”
Alausa stated that his ministry would keep promoting increased support for the health sector and broaden the value chain to draw in more grants and investment from abroad.
Legit.ng earlier reported that the federal government has announced that it would begin to pay medical and dental practitioners N25,000 as an allowance.
"Earn $3k to $4k": Nigerian Doctors "Japa" to Sierra Leone, Other African Countries to Earn Three Times More
With countries like Sierra Leone and the Gambia offering much greater pay, up to $4000, there are concerns about the departure of Nigerian doctors of medicine and other healthcare professionals to other African countries, Legit.ng reported.
Appearing before the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee looking into racketeering in Federal Government agencies, Emem Bassey, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, observed this growing practice.
Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) earlier expressed worry about the surging migration pressure on Nigeria’s healthcare system. According to the report, a few over 9,000 medical doctors are left in the country.
Source: Legit.ng
