Blame insecurity for doctors exodus from health sector — NMA

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has linked the ongoing mass exodus of medical doctors from Nigeria to the widespread insecurity plaguing the country.

Abubakar Hassan, the Kogi State Chairman of the NMA, made this assertion in Lokoja while addressing journalists about the nationwide strike currently being undertaken by the association.

He emphasised that medical personnel have increasingly become prime targets for criminal elements, despite their crucial role in serving humanity.

Hassan expressed deep concern over the rising incidents of kidnappings involving medical doctors, which he said have severely crippled health services in both Kogi State and the nation at large.

He revealed that numerous cases of doctors being held in captivity by kidnappers across the country remain unreported.

“In a particular North Central State, at least two doctors are currently in captivity—one has been held for upwards of a year now, while the second was abducted only recently. The story is the same across the entire country,” Hassan stated.

He pointed out that the pervasive insecurity in Nigeria is a significant factor driving doctors to seek opportunities in other countries.

He lamented that “down tooling” was the last resort for doctors to make their voices heard and blamed the federal government for failing to provide adequate security for its citizens, which he said has become a serious hindrance to the medical profession in Nigeria.

Adding to the discourse, Jimoh Umar, President of the Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja, confirmed full compliance with the warning strike in Kogi State.

He echoed concerns about the deteriorating security situation for medical professionals and urged the government to urgently address their demands.

This comes in the wake of a seven-day warning strike initiated by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on August 26, 2024.

The strike was called in response to the abduction of their colleague, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, who has been held captive for eight months.

Dr Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, was abducted in December 2023, along with her husband and nephew.

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