About 1,197 Nigerian –trained doctors has moved to the United Kingdom since May 2023 according to PUNCH. It reports that Nigeria is set to overtake Pakistan, as it becomes the second highest number of foreign-trained doctors in the UK. India is reported to be the highest number currently according to the register of the general medical council of UK, which the official register of Medical practitioners in UK. With 1197 Nigerian-trained doctors licensed between May 29, 2023 and December 1^st 2023, the total number of Nigerian trained Doctors licensed to practice in UK is now 12,198.

This figure excludes Nigerian Doctors trained in other countries.

The rate of migration of doctors has become a matter of concern with the Nigerian Medical Association lamenting the high rate of medical brain drain and said Nigeria might import doctors in the future. In 2015, 233 doctors moved to UK, the number increased over the years. And during the Covid 19 lock down, even though the GMC closed Operations, the figure was 833 in 2020 and 932 in 2021.

According to the Chairman, Committee of Chief medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, Prof Emem Bassey, African countries are also beginning to poach from Nigeria. He said the west coast are looking for our specialists. Some doctors are now going to Sierra Leone and Gambia and earn wages between 3000 dollars to 4000 dollars which is about three to four times they earn at home. He said the health sector is undergoing major crisis in manpower with not only specialists but also Nurses, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, radiographers and all manner of health workers are leaving in droves.

SOURCE: PUNCH