The Niger State Hospital Management Board, has raised an alarm over the worsening situation of Doctor – patients ratio which stands at 8000 patients to one doctor in the state.
The Executive Medical Director, Dr Ibrahim Abdullahi made the revelation in Minna, the State Capital to underscore the personnel crisis the state health sector faces.
He stated that many doctors and about 1000 medical staff have left the Niger health sector to seek greener pastures abroad in the past year.
“In Niger State, the doctor to patients ratio is now 1 to 8,000. The reason is that the doctors and health workers keep moving out, they go for greener pastures where they are enticed by being paid in foreign currency. The developed countries are seriously poaching our doctors and health workers.
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“This year alone, we have lost 39 doctors and in the last three years, we have lost about 790 health staff including 85 nurses. The loss of health workers are either by retirement, abscondment or resignation,” he said.
Abdullahi disclosed that the state has 450 doctors in its general hospitals, private hospitals and federal medical centres.
He expressed optimism that the medical human resources gap in the state would soon be addressed as the state government is making plans to recruit about 400 health workers in 2022.