The AP news agency reported on July 27 that interns at many public hospitals in Nigeria are holding their second strike of the year, to protest the prolonged salary debt and demand improvements in wages. work event.
Tired Nigerian patient waiting for the doctor's turn.
Dr Innocent Orji - President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Physicians (NARD) - said they decided to launch a "full and indefinite strike" after unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with the government. According to Orji, resident salaries have not increased since 2009, while the value of the Naira against the US dollar has fallen by 480% since then. The lives of doctors are difficult in the face of rising costs of living due to inflation and the cut in gas subsidies.
Currently, a senior and highly qualified doctor earns less than 900 USD/month, while doctors with 5 years of experience only earn 400-600 USD/month. Notably, at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, residents were owed 24 months' wages.
Dr Orji also said that the Nigerian health sector is witnessing a large-scale "brain drain". Over the past two years, an average of 2 residents have migrated abroad every month in search of higher salaries. According to NARD, the UK is the preferred destination for many Nigerian doctors. Government statistics show that in the financial year to September 200, Nigerian nationals were the UK's second largest group of recipients of the UK's "Skilled Worker - Healthcare" visa, with 9 people, accounting for 2022. % of the total number of cases granted this type of visa.
Meanwhile, the number of doctors leaving their jobs has added to the burden on health care services at public hospitals in a country of more than 210 million people. According to the 2021 statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria has a ratio of 4 doctors / 10.000 patients, while the Nigeria Medical Association says the ratio is 2 doctors / 10.000 patients and only 1 doctor/10.000 patients in some rural areas. These numbers show that Nigeria has the lowest number of doctors globally.
NGUYEN CAT TU
