The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire says the Federal Government is aiming to curb the growing trend of both patients and doctors seeking better health care outside the shore of the country.
Ehanire made the revelation during the 50th anniversary and convocation of new Fellows of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in Abuja.
Speaking on the theme “Challenges and prospects of postgraduate medical education in Nigeria,” the minister stated that tackling the perennial brain drain and medical tourism remains of the government’s top priorities.
“Nigeria loses billions to medical tourism each year,” he said.
Represented by the permanent secretary of the federal health ministry, Abdullahi Mashi, the minister noted that decisions from the conference should “be made available to government to assist decisions.”
“Your graduates are in high demand all over the world. Our dream toward achieving universal health coverage cannot be complete without you,” he said.
His view was shared by an emeritus professor at the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Nimi Briggs stressed that the federal government just had to find a way to stem brain drain in the country.
“As a nation, we can’t spend money training doctors only to lose them to other countries with better working conditions.”
