WHY NIGERIAN DOCTORS ARE LEAVING NIGERIA

                      F E A T U R E

 WHY NIGERIAN DOCTORS ARE LEAVING NIGERIA

At a gala in US last night, there were over 30 medical Drs from the class of 2000 including my baby sister who graduated from University of Ibadan in Nigeria. Some couldn't make it. I learnt that there have also been reunions in Canada and U.K. of her classmates in those countries. The US is holding its first reunion. 

By the time you add the doctors in just those three countries, you may find that more than 50% of the medical class of 2000 UCH is no longer in Nigeria. Nigerian medical schools are farms for the harvesting of skilled surgeons for western markets. The slave trade has been replaced with "brain drain." 

My mother also is a medical doctor who did her post graduate studies in Anesthesiology in the University of Ibadan. She is in her 70s and retired but some of her classmates are medical doctors in the Middle East - Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Dubai. They qualified as medical doctors over 45 years ago.

Nigeria is now a people-exporting country. We export crude oil and also refined people.

My sister's case is insightful.

She visited me in the US one holiday. During that time she volunteered with a medical research study.

She returned to Nigeria to take up a job as a medical doctor in the General Hospital in Makurdi. My mum had been Chief Medical Director many years before.

When she returned from the US and reported at the Hospital, she was turned away that she had failed to submit a letter of acceptance of the job offer which she had actually done. Long story short she never got that job.

Here's some perspective. My mum Dr MARYAMU DIJA OGEBE (nee Madaki) is the first female doctor in northern Nigeria. She served in the north and the south and after her retirement as chief executive of public health services in our home state was recruited by an American NGO to head their State office still serving in Nigeria.

Even in retirement she was appointed to the board of an international NGO working on leprosy still serving in Nigeria.

#What is her reward for all this service to humanity and her country?

Her pension is 10653 naira from the Federal Government and 7300 from the state government. In US dollars that is $30 a month and $22 respectively. The state last paid the $22 in 2016.

What she earns now as monthly pension is less than what any of her daughter's classmates who graduated 20 years after her earn in one hour abroad.

Apart from this financial neglect, there is no historical recognition of her distinction as a pioneer woman doctor in northern Nigeria of all places where more than 50 years after she started university, 10 million children are today out of school.

A hostel is named after the first male medical doctor from northern Nigeria at ABU but nothing has been named after Dr Mary Ogebe anywhere. Possibly a combination of her religion and gender have ensured her relegation. 

#Why would anyone want to serve or work hard in Nigeria other than the love and fear of God?

Her daughter (my sister) is the first female doctor from our village. She was denied an opportunity to work in a state hospital in a state where her mom once managed the entire health sector.

In the US, numerous hospitals fought over her. They flew her at their own expense for job interviews and she took her pick of whatever job she wanted.

#Why would any sane person not want that?

Finally the class of 2000 paid tribute to some of their classmates who have now died. At least 4 have passed on. I don't know the details but I suspect most would have died in Nigeria. 

#Why would Drs in their 30s die?

Finally I ask you:

why won't Nigeria's rulers travel abroad for treatment when Nigeria is a leading exporter of doctors? 

And who needs medical doctors more - Europe, America or Africa?

Is anyone in doubt that one generation destroyed the future of the next generation?