The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised concerns about the shortage of doctors in Jigawa state, where the current doctor to patient ratio stands at an alarming 1:21,000 [1]. This ratio is significantly higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended standard of 1:600 [1]. The NMA Chairman in Jigawa, Dr. Aminu Abdullahi, expressed his worries about the brain drain affecting the state, stating that Jigawa has the highest record of brain drain in the country [3].
Impact on Healthcare:
Strained Healthcare System: The shortage of doctors in Jigawa has put a tremendous strain on the healthcare system, making it difficult to provide adequate medical care to the population [1].
Negative Health Indices: The high doctor to patient ratio in Jigawa is one of the worst in the country and is expected to have a significant impact on the state’s health indices [1].
Bi-Directional Brain Drain: The brain drain in Jigawa is not only limited to doctors leaving the state but also includes doctors migrating to other states within the country and even outside the country [3].
Nurse and Health Worker Shortage: The shortage of doctors is not limited to Jigawa alone but also affects nurses and other health workers in the state, further exacerbating the healthcare challenges [1].
Efforts and Challenges:
Budget Allocation: Despite allocating 16% of its 2023 annual budget to the health sector, Jigawa still faces challenges in addressing the shortage of doctors [3].
Salary Structure: Jigawa was one of the early states to implement the CONMESS and CONHESS salary structure for healthcare workers in 2011, making it one of the highest-paid states in the country at that time [3].
Need for Discussions: The NMA chairman emphasized the need for sincere, deliberate, and fact-guided discussions to address the challenges facing the healthcare delivery system in Jigawa, especially considering the current economic realities [3].
Healthcare Trailblazer: Celebrating Pharm. Ahmed… On December 1st, 1960, amidst the joy and jubilation in the Yakasai community of Kano, Nigeria, a beacon of excellence, leadership, and dedication was born. Pharm. Ahmed Ibrahim Yakasai, FPSN, mni, FNIM, FPCPharm, FNAPharm, a…
Mental Health Challenges in Nigeria: Funding,… The World Health Organization (WHO) has consistently emphasized the critical importance of mental health, making it a global concern for the past three years through their World Mental Health Day themes. In 2021, the WHO…
NMA Advocates for Scrutiny of Medical Education in… The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has called for a thorough investigation into the quality of medical education provided to Nigerian students studying medicine abroad, particularly in Ukraine. Dr. Uche Rowland Ojinmah, the NMA National President,…
Emergency Nurses in Nigeria Deplore Poor Working… Shortage of Nurses and Inadequate Resources Raise Concerns for Patient Care Emergency nurses in Nigeria are sounding the alarm over what they describe as dire working conditions in many government hospitals nationwide, emphasizing the urgency…
