The Minister of State for Health and Welfare, Tunde Alausa, has made a heartfelt appeal to the 416 foreign-trained medical graduates who were recently inducted on January 25, 2024, not to seek opportunities abroad but to stay and contribute to the development of healthcare in Nigeria.
This plea comes at a time when there is a growing trend of medical professionals leaving the country, resulting in an unfavorable patient-doctor ratio in Nigeria’s health sector.
Speaking in Abuja during the induction ceremony conducted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Minister Alausa, represented by his special adviser, Ismaila Adiatu, emphasized the government’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for medical practice.
He assured the graduates of improvements in infrastructure, working conditions, and salaries, urging them to resist the temptation to leave.
“Don’t japa. Stay behind and help your country. We will provide an enabling environment for you to practice and be satisfied. We will improve the infrastructure, the conditions and the salary. Please don’t go; even if for your parents and your relatives, stay behind so that the field is not left for quacks,” Alausa urged.
The guest lecturer, Prof. Christie Mato, acting Vice Chancellor of Pamo University of Medical Sciences in Port Harcourt, stressed the significant responsibilities associated with the title of medical doctor.
Mato highlighted the importance of humility, respect, and sensitivity in the behavior of medical professionals, advising the new doctors to embody these qualities in their practice.
The registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Tajudeen Sanusi, also addressed the inductees, emphasizing the importance of compassion in the medical profession.
He urged them to be prepared to practice medicine anywhere in the country while emphasizing their commitment to ongoing learning and development.