The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) said the rate at which doctors are leaving the country there may be need to import of medical practitioners in future.
Oyo State NMA Chairman, Dr. Ayotunde Fasunla, raised the alarm in Ibadan on Tuesday at the 2022 scientific conference themed ‘National Health Authority Act – The Sound Bites’.
According to the NMA, a total collapse of the health system is imminent if urgent steps are not taken to address the situation.
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The chairman lamented the condition of government-owned hospitals, poor remuneration, allowance, among others.
The NMA complained that the budgetary allocation to the health sector in the 2022 budget was just over 4 percent.
The figure, he noted, fell short of the 15 percent minimum recommendation of the African Union (AU) at the Abuja Declaration.
Fasunla confirmed that some hospitals spend a significant amount of their internally generated revenues on diesel.
“There is scarcity of funds to apply for equipment upgrade, manpower development or even recruitment of new staff.
“Many of our hospitals are grossly under-staffed. Even the process of replacing migrating staff is bogged down by a rigid government bureaucracy.
“It is our plea to the government to commit more funds to the health sector so that the system does not collapse”.
“Only healthy people can have the will and strength to contribute to the growth and development of a nation’s economy.
“Therefore, I call on well-meaning Nigerians, philanthropists, and non-governmental organisations to join hands with the government to improve the conditions of the health system in the nation, especially Oyo state. It is obvious that the government cannot handle it alone.”
