Not All Doctors can be Specialists. The Country does not have space for Everybody – Minister of Health
Nigeria’s Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole has said that not all Nigerian doctors can be specialists. According to him the country does not have space for them. He said this recently in an interview with The Guardian.
Mr Adewole who has been quoted in the past as saying some doctors will be farmers etc. clarified himself: “I have said it many times that really, I was quoted out of context and the message was lost. What I said was borne out of reality that not all doctors can be specialists because we do not have space for everybody.”
Mr Adewole said that Nigeria currently has about 1 doctor to 5000 patients. This is a far cry to the World Health Organisation recommendation of 1 doctor to 600 patients. He also said that 50 percent of Nigerian doctors are either practicing abroad, not practicing at all or dead.
The minister advocates the following to solve the problems
- Post more doctors to rural areas
- Change our reward system
According to him: “We really need to look at our reward system to keep our doctors here. What we are also doing is to attract those that have gone to come back home.”
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