The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has attributed the ongoing mass exodus of medical doctors from the country to the widespread insecurity that has plagued the nation.
Abubakar Hassan, the Kogi State Chairman of the NMA, expressed this concern in Lokoja during a discussion with journalists about the ongoing nationwide strike by the association.
He highlighted that medical personnel have become prime targets for criminal elements in the country, despite their dedication to serving humanity.
Lamenting the repeated kidnappings of medical doctors, which have severely impacted healthcare services in Kogi State and across the nation, Hassan emphasized that numerous cases of doctors being held captive by their abductors remain unreported.
He further noted that in one particular state in North Central Nigeria, at least two doctors are currently in captivity—one for nearly a year and the other more recently. He stressed that this issue is prevalent across the entire country.
Hassan explained that the country’s insecurity is a key factor driving the mass exodus of doctors from Nigeria to other nations.
He emphasized that the decision to down tools was a last resort for doctors to press for their demands, placing the blame on the federal government for failing to ensure the security of its citizens. He noted that this lack of security has become a significant obstacle to practicing the medical profession in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Jimoh Umar, President of the Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, confirmed full compliance with the warning strike in Kogi State. He expressed concern that the security situation for medical doctors in the country continues to worsen and urged the government to urgently address their demands.
It is important to recall that on August 26, 2024, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began a seven-day warning strike in response to the abduction of their colleague, Ganiyat Popoola, who has been held captive for eight months.
Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, was abducted in December 2023 along with her husband and nephew.
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