By Mohammed Suleiman, Dutse.
Mass exodus of medical doctors has hit the Jigawa State health facilities to other states in the country in search of greener pastures, a situation described by the state Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association as pathetic and worrisome..
In an exclusive interview, the Chairman of the State branch of the Association,, Dr. Aminu Abdullahi said Jigawa is facing a double challenge of bidirectional brain drain where doctors working in the state are leaving for other states and the country for better pay leaving behind only 350 doctors in the state.
“The membership of Nigerian Medical Association Jigawa State hovers around 350 doctors across the state, in all facilities both Federal and State owned. They are to cater to about 7 million indigenes of the state.
“Currently the doctor-patient ratio stands at about 1: 21, 000 according to our records, as against the WHO standard of 1:600. The ratio is similar to that of nurses and other health workers in the state. This is one of the worst ratios in the country which will significantly affect our health indices, Mr Abdullahi said.
He said the NMA in Jigawa, while celebrating the 2023 physicians’ Week felt the need to create awareness and to call on the attention of all relevant parties to intimate them on issues that are very dear to its members as well as a catalyst to having a robust health care delivery system in the state.
Mr Abdullahi said the state was once the best in its salary structure for medical doctors across the country, but since after 2011 when the payment was reviewed, the state has been overtaken, making the least in the country in better monthly pay for doctors and other healthcare providers.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Jigawa state chapter said their members are leaving the state for other states within the country due to the differences in their monthly take-home payments.
The NMA says the shortage of doctors in the state is attributed to the parity in monthly payment which puts Jigawa state at disadvantage when compared to other states in the federation.