Dearth of Doctors Worries Medical Association, Says only 533 on Kano’s Payroll

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The Chairman of the Kano State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Abdullahi Kabir Sulaiman, has said that only 533 medical doctors are on the payroll of the Kano State government.

Sulaiman disclosed this yesterday in Kano when he lamented the brain drain in the healthcare sector in the state.

He blamed the brain drain in the sector on the poor condition of service and remuneration of healthcare workers.

Sulaiman said that many doctors have left the state civil service for jobs at federal government’s hospitals and other states with better welfare packages.

He, therefore, advised the state government to address the pay disparity between state and federal health workers to mitigate the problem of internal and external brain drain.

“If the state government could address the pay disparity between state and federal governments, it would stop doctors from going to Ghana, Uganda, and South Africa, among others.

“You know, Nigerian doctors go to even African countries, not only the United Kingdom or Europe. This is to show you how bad the situation is.

“People would want to work with the state government rather than the federal government if the salary doesn’t have a disparity,” he added.