The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has said that he
is not bothered about medical doctors leaving Nigeria, to practice
outside the country.
Ngige who was a guest on Channels TV Sunrise Daily, said the practice
is not alien to Nigeria, because he was taught by Indians in secondary
school.
“I’m Not Worried, We Have Surplus (Doctors), if we have a surplus, we
export. I was taught Biology and Chemistry by Indian teachers in my
secondary school days.
“They are surplus in their country. We have a surplus in the medical
profession in our country. I can tell you this. It is my area, we have
excess. We have enough, more than enough, quote me,” he said.
Ngige, when asked if nothing was wrong, owing to his position as a
qualified medical doctor, said there was nothing wrong in their choice
to practise overseas, at the detriment of Nigeria’s health sector.
“There is nothing wrong, they go out to sharpen their skills, earn
money and send them back home here. Yes, we have foreign exchange
earnings from them, not from oil.
“Those guys go there, they are better trained because of the
facilities they have there. Eventually, I know a couple of them who
practise abroad but set up medical centres back home. They have CAT
scan, MRI scan which even the government hospitals cannot maintain. So, I
don’t see any loss.
“Brain drain will only be inimical when for instance neurosurgeons travel and we don’t have neurosurgeons here,” Ngige added.
