By Abubakar Idris
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Taraba State has lamented the shortage of doctors in the state, asking the state government to tackle the trend if truly it wants to ensure improved healthcare delivery.
The association said it has set up a special committee to check the activities of quacks in the profession
The NMA in the state also frowned upon the proliferations of clinics without recourse to set standards.
The chairman of the Association, Bako Ali, disclosed this at a press briefing to mark this year’s physician’s week.
According to him, there are only 201 doctors, both active and retired, to take care of over three million Taraba population.
He added that kidnapping and other forms of insecurity are now major causes of medical brain drain and asked that action not rhetorics be taken to curb the menacing trend.
”If Nigerian trained doctors and dentists are poorly trained, they won’t be in high demand worldwide.
”Globally, around 64% of physicians work overtime regularly, these indices is worst in Taraba State where there are only 201 doctors (active and retired) saddled with the responsibility to take care of 3,609,800 population (2022), with doctor to patient ratio pegged at 1:17,959 instead of 1:600.”
”The need for the reversal of these poor indices is pertinent, the government and the health care providers must tackle this demon head on with particular attention to encouraging specialization, improving welfare package and providing standard infrastructure that will make work easy and reduce burn out.”
