Japa: Nigerians may soon be left with only native doctors, says Mimiko

The ex-Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has called on the government to urgently address the brain drain among doctors in Nigeria or face the consequences in a couple of years.

The former governor, who expressed worry over the rate at which doctors are leaving the country for foreign countries in search of greener pastures, said the development calls for urgent attention from the government.

According to him, if doctors emigrating from the country in droves is not addressed, in less than a decade Nigeria may only have native doctors to turn to for treatment.

Mimiko spoke at the induction ceremony of the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery for medical students of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, on Friday.

According to him, a situation where doctors and other health workers were trained at a subsidised rate in Nigeria and later abandoned the country for developed countries calls for huge concern.

He said, “We are in an emergency. If we continue at this rate, in another five to 10 years, only the “babalawos” (herbalists) will be available to take care of us. It is an emergency, and the government must see it as an emergency. The government must disincentivise the rate at which our medical doctors and medical personnel are emigrating from this country.

“We cannot continue to hold this nation unaccountable. We can take advantage of the opportunity for our professionals to learn new skills. I don’t think any serious government can fold its arms while other countries decide to empty it of its human resources, especially in the health sector.”