NARD reveals 2,000 doctors left Nigeria in 2022

Dr. Orji Innocent, president of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, expressed concern about the large number of association members leaving the nation in search of "greener pastures," claiming that the association had lost more than 2,000 members in the previous two years.

He warned that if the problem is not resolved, Nigerians would wake up one day to find that no more physicians are working in the nation's hospitals.

When Innocent was answering questions from journalists on Saturday following the presentation of a communiqué issued at the conclusion of the association's conference in Uyo, he brought up the issue.

According to a study done in December, more than 2,000 members left the organization in search of better opportunities.

The group, meanwhile, advocated for enhanced budgetary backing of the nation's healthcare industry, amounting to a 15% annual budgetary investment to enhance the caliber of healthcare delivery.

The communiqué read in part, “The National Executive Council welcomes the committee set up by the Federal Government to mitigate the brain drain in the health sector.

“The association urges a speedy conclusion of the task and immediate implementation of their recommendations to improve healthcare service delivery and reduce the emigration of skilled healthcare workers from the country.

“NEC calls for increased funding of the healthcare sector in the country, to the tune of 15 per cent annual budgetary allocation in line with the 2001 Abuja Declaration for healthcare financing in Africa and global best practices as well as the digitalisation of the healthcare services to improve the quality of healthcare delivery to Nigerian citizens.”

The President declared that NEC urged the Chief Medical Directors of the nation's tertiary institutions to take charge of security at their various facilities since NARD would no longer tolerate seeing its members abused by coworkers, patients, family members, or security personnel.

In order to act as a deterrence to others, the association requested that the Inspector General of Police look into, apprehend, and hold accountable those responsible for the unlawful shooting of one of its members in Delta.