The Chief Medical Director (CMD), University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, has decried increasing brain drain in the health sector, saying it was a threat to effective healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

He made the revelation while addressing reporters on the occasion of the hospital’s 63rd anniversary at the weekend.

Expressing surprise that both old and young medical professionals are leaving the country for greener pastures this time, Otegbayo said the development is depleting the personnel strength in the sector which threatens effective healthcare delivery to the ever growing Nigerian population.

He said: “Almost every day, I get resignation letters. They are poaching them because they know that they are good. The only difference is that they have modern equipment in those countries that are poaching them.”

The CMD also revealed that the hospital needs minimum of N50 billion to rebuild decaying infrastructures and purchase new equipment to realise its desired goals.

Identifying infrastructural decay as a major challenge in the hospital, Otegbayo said the facilities, which were built from 1953, need to be rebuilt in line with modern needs. He added that the UCH also needs funds to purchase more newly developed equipment for technology-driven medical training and treatment of patients.

He called on corporate and charitable organisations and individuals to support the hospital through donations. (Text, excluding headline, courtesy The Nation)

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