Lokoja, August 30, 2024 — The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has attributed the ongoing mass exodus of medical doctors from Nigeria to the country’s worsening security situation. Dr. Abubakar Hassan, Chairman of the NMA Kogi State chapter, made this assertion during a press briefing on Friday in Lokoja, amidst the ongoing nationwide strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
Dr. Hassan expressed deep concern over the increasing number of medical personnel becoming prime targets for criminal elements, a situation he said has crippled healthcare services across the nation, including Kogi State. He revealed that numerous cases of kidnapped doctors remain unreported due to security concerns, with at least two doctors currently held captive in a North Central state—one for nearly a year.
“It has gotten to a state that doctors themselves, having been patient for too long despite the unfavorable situation in the country, are becoming patients, no thanks to their ordeals in the hands of these hoodlums,” Hassan lamented. He highlighted the psychological and physical trauma doctors endure after being kidnapped, adding that this is a significant factor driving the mass exodus of doctors to safer countries.
Dr. Hassan argued that the “JAPA syndrome,” the colloquial term for the mass migration of professionals from Nigeria, is not solely driven by the desire for better welfare packages. He emphasized that security is a critical component of any welfare package, noting that no amount of money can compensate for the inability to sleep soundly or travel safely to work.
Despite the challenges, Dr. Hassan expressed optimism that Kogi State’s leadership, under Governor Ahmed Ododo, would mitigate the need for strikes in the state. He praised the Governor and the State Commissioner for Health for being approachable and attentive to the needs of medical professionals.
Dr. Jimoh Umar, President of the Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, confirmed full compliance with the ongoing NARD strike in Kogi State. The strike, which began on August 26th, 2024, was initiated in response to the abduction of Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, a registrar at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, who has been held captive for eight months.
“Our members are being targeted by kidnappers for ransom,” Dr. Umar said, calling on the government to intensify efforts to secure the release of kidnapped medical professionals and improve overall security in the country.
The NMA and NARD have urged the Federal Government to urgently revamp the country’s security architecture, warning that the continued neglect of doctors’ safety will only exacerbate the ongoing brain drain in Nigeria’s healthcare sector.