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MDCAN reveals 74,543 registered doctors against WHO’s required 363,000.
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Overworked doctors face exhaustion, moral injury, and unsafe work conditions.
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Medical body warns collapse is imminent unless urgent reforms are made.
Nigeria’s health sector is facing a profound emergency as the doctor-to-patient ratio has deteriorated to 1:10,000, far below the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standard of 1:600.
The President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Prof. Apollos Chidi Ndukuba, issued the warning in an interview, describing the situation as catastrophic and threatening the survival of the nation’s healthcare system.
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Nigeria Needs 363,000 Doctors, Has Barely 74,000
According to Prof. Ndukuba, with Nigeria’s population estimated at over 218 million, the WHO standard requires about 363,000 doctors. However, the country has only 74,543 registered doctors, and this figure does not reflect those who have migrated, retired, or left the profession.
“The reality is that one doctor now caters for 9,000 to 10,000 patients, and sometimes even worse. This is a national emergency,” he warned.
Hospitals Crippled by Exodus
The manpower shortage is crippling teaching hospitals and federal medical centres. The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) was forced to shut down five wards in November 2023 due to lack of doctors and nurses, denying hundreds of patients critical care daily.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has already warned that the country may lose over half of its healthcare workforce by 2025 if the exodus continues.
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Prof. Ndukuba condemned the severe toll on doctors, many of whom are working 72-hour shifts. He said burnout, moral injury, and unsafe conditions have worsened the crisis.
“Doctors are forced to improvise with cartons as incubators, or perform surgery under candlelight because of power failures. These conditions destroy morale and compromise patient safety,” he said.
He recalled the death of Dr. Vwaere Diaso in a faulty elevator as evidence of systemic neglect that endangers even the lives of medical professionals.
Collapse Looming Without Urgent Action
Prof. Ndukuba said the consequences are already visible: Nigeria accounts for 28.5% of global maternal deaths, with 82,000 deaths recorded in 2020 alone, while infant mortality stands at 72 deaths per 1,000 live births.
He accused the government of ignoring root causes while floating coercive measures such as compulsory service laws for young doctors. “You cannot force doctors to stay; you must create conditions that make them want to stay,” he said.
The MDCAN president called for urgent action: competitive salaries, improved hospital infrastructure, enhanced security, job security, and strategic engagement of Nigerian doctors abroad.
“The collapse of our healthcare system is imminent unless decisive steps are taken now. The time for rhetoric is over; the time for action is now,” Prof. Ndukuba declared.
