• Warns of burnout, premature deaths among doctors

Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State has lost more than 400 doctors to migration and other forms of workforce attrition in the last five years, leaving the state with approximately 500 doctors in public health institutions and a doctor-to-patient ratio of one to 6,000, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has disclosed.

The NMA Chairman in Ondo State, Dr. Roland Bola Arohunmolase, raised the alarm in Akure on Monday while speaking on behalf of the association’s national president, Dr. (Prof.) Afekhide Ernest Omoti, as part of activities marking the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria.”

Arohunmolase said the mass departure of doctors had placed an enormous burden on the state’s healthcare system, worsening the workload of the remaining practitioners and threatening the quality of medical services available to residents.

“As of today, we barely have 500 doctors across state and federal government health establishments in Ondo State, excluding the private sector. Based on the records available to me, we have about 500 doctors,” he said.

He said, “There was a time when we had about 900 doctors, or close to 1,000, in our healthcare system. However, an average of about 400 doctors have exited the system. This emigration has placed an enormous burden on the healthcare sector.”

The NMA chairman said the situation required urgent intervention by the state government, particularly through improved remuneration, better working conditions and deliberate policies to attract and retain medical professionals.

“We are using this opportunity to appeal to the Ondo State Government to look inward and consider how it can attract more doctors into the healthcare system. This would help reduce the burnout currently being experienced by doctors and other healthcare professionals in the state,” he said.

Arohunmolase, however commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for approving the national circular on doctors’ remuneration issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, describing the decision as a positive step towards improving doctors’ welfare.

He, however, said some states paid doctors above the nationally approved rates, noting that more competitive remuneration could help governments retain experienced practitioners and attract new ones.

The NMA chairman also attributed the continued medical tourism patronised by wealthy Nigerians, including politicians, to inadequate infrastructure and the shortage of essential medical equipment in the country’s healthcare facilities.

He expressed concern that Ondo State might not have up to four defibrillators, devices used to deliver controlled electric shocks to patients experiencing certain life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances.

“I believe they go abroad because they themselves know the inadequacies that exist within our system,” he said, arguing that the failure to provide essential equipment and modern medical technology had undermined public confidence in local healthcare services.

He noted that many doctors attending to Nigerians abroad had received their medical training in Nigeria, stressing that the challenge was not necessarily a lack of competent medical personnel but the inadequacies confronting them in the country.

“The challenge is not necessarily the competence of our doctors but the inadequacies within the healthcare system. These shortcomings undermine public confidence and encourage people, particularly politicians, to continue seeking medical treatment overseas,” he said.

Arohunmolase called for increased government investment in healthcare, noting that Nigeria’s estimated two to three per cent budgetary allocation to the sector remained significantly below the 15 per cent commitment made by African governments under the Abuja Declaration.

He said improved funding was essential to strengthen health infrastructure, equip hospitals, improve working conditions and provide competitive remuneration for medical professionals.

The NMA chairman’s concerns echoed the national president’s message in his address for the 2026 Physicians’ Week, which identified doctors’ welfare, professional burnout, insecurity, declining remuneration and medical migration as major threats to the future of medicine in Nigeria.

Omoti, in the address, warned against a healthcare culture that expected doctors to continually sacrifice their wellbeing while working under difficult conditions.

“A physician who is physically exhausted, emotionally depleted, chronically stressed and personally neglected cannot indefinitely provide the quality of care our patients deserve,” he said.

He called for improved working environments, adequate staffing, regular medical checks, sufficient rest and confidential psychological support for doctors, stressing that physician wellbeing was essential to patient safety and the effective delivery of healthcare.

The NMA president also urged governments to tackle the conditions driving doctors abroad, arguing that patriotism alone could not persuade medical professionals to remain in Nigeria without decent working conditions, professional dignity, security and competitive remuneration.

“The answer cannot simply be that doctors should remain because of patriotism. Patriotism should be supported by decent working conditions, professional dignity, security, competitive remuneration, opportunities for career development and a health system in which doctors can see a future for themselves and their families,” he said.

On the future of medical practice, Omoti advocated the integration of digital health, artificial intelligence, telemedicine and other emerging technologies into medical education and healthcare delivery, while insisting that innovation must not erode the human connection between doctors and patients.

He also called for stronger protection for healthcare workers against threats, intimidation and workplace violence, urging hospital administrators and governments to ensure that hospitals remained safe environments for both medical personnel and patients.

The NMA president urged doctors to remain united in defending the profession’s dignity and welfare, while calling on governments to invest in a healthcare system capable of retaining skilled practitioners and providing Nigerians with accessible, quality medical services.

He said securing the future of medicine required a collective commitment to improving doctors’ welfare, modernising medical education, strengthening health infrastructure and rebuilding public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.