The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has said no fewer than 67 per cent of Nigerian doctors practice in the United Kingdom. Mr Pate said that Nigerian-trained doctors and nurses are in high demand worldwide and the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) would be greatly impacted if Nigerian doctors withdraw and return home. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, the Health Minister discussed the newly approved National Policy on Health Workforce Migration by President Bola Tinubu .
Mr Pate explained that the policy is aimed at addressing the mass exodus of health professionals from Nigeria, noting that the new policy focuses on health diplomacy and promoting ethical recruitment practices. During a similar interview in March, Mr Pate revealed that the country now has only 55,000 licensed doctors to serve its growing population of over 200 million. He said 16,000 doctors left the country in the last five years and about 17,000 have been transferred while lamenting the mass exodus of health professionals abandoning the country for better opportunities abroad, while the country is “barely managing” the available ones.
Speaking further, Mr Pate suggested that countries recruiting Nigerian health professionals should also contribute to expanding training opportunities in Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES delivers fact-based journalism for Nigerians, by Nigerians — and our community of supporters, the readers who donate, m.