NHS Will Suffer If Nigerian Doctors Leave The UK – Ali Pate

According to Health Minister Ali Pate, 67% of Nigerian-trained physicians and nurses are employed in the United Kingdom and are in high demand worldwide.

He revealed this on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Tuesday night, August 13.

According to Pate, the National Health Service (NHS) will face difficulties if Nigerian medical professionals depart from the organisation.

In order to address the widespread departure of health professionals from Nigeria, he discussed the recently adopted National Policy on Health Workforce Migration by President Bola Tinubu.

He remarked that Nigeria should be proud of its handsome physicians and nurses. He pointed out that not all Nigerian healthcare professionals depart the nation, and those who do so have specific motives.

He said the policy “is really about health diplomacy and promoting ethical recruitment practices”.

“The recruitment countries; that recruit our professionals, should they not have some responsibilities to help us expand the training? Because the strain of health workers’ migration is continuous; it’s not going to stop tomorrow.

“UK will need Nigerian doctors. 67% of our doctors go to the United Kingdom and 25% of the NHIS workforce is Nigerian.

“Does the UK, for instance, want to consider expanding the pre-service education? Can we have corridors that allow us to have a compact that ‘you’ll take so but you will also help us train more so you will replace them’? That is in the realm of health diplomacy and ethical replacement,” Pate said.

“Nigerians are very vibrant, very entrepreneurial, and very capable wherever they are. If Nigerians hold back from the UK, for instance, the NHS will struggle to provide the services that many Nigerians are going there to get,” he added.

According to Pate, more than 75% of health personnel who received training within the past year have migrated abroad for work. “We have good training centres here, and the universities are doing a great job,” he admitted.

He said that although there is freedom of movement and the government cannot stop them from departing, it will create favourable conditions so they can remain and continue their practice in Nigeria.

According to him, the new policy will make it easier to provide incentives—such as better welfare packages and more capacity development—for medical professionals to remain in Nigeria.

The promotion of a respectable work environment that does not exceed 12 hours each shift is another area of attention for the new policy.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli