By FATIMA MOHAMMED-LAWAL

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) says only 6,000 consultants are left in the country.

Its President, Prof. Muhammad Mohammad, said this on Thursday during the association?s National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting in Ilorin.

The meeting was themed, ?Policy Making for Quality Healthcare Services: Engaging Policy Makers for Quality Healthcare Delivery?.

Mohammad explained that 6,000 consultants remain as of Feb. 2024, lamenting that data showed that about 1,300 left Nigeria in the last five years.

According to him, the number will continue to dwindle as the retirement age for medical consultants is 60 years.

?About 1,700 consultants are above 55 years of age.

?This means that in the next five years, they are going to leave the services for retirement,? he said.

The MDCAN president emphasised that the number of consultants would continue to reduce, as long as the country produces only one or two per annum.

?So you can see that the replacement cannot keep up with the loss from ?Japa? syndrome and from retirement,? he said.

Mohammad commended the government for its efforts toward finding solutions to the challenges.

According to him, the association is hopeful that consultants will be able to serve up to 70 years, while other healthcare workers will continue to serve up to 65 years.

He noted that such a move would ensure that medical and dental consultants who remain in the country continue to give their expertise in the health field.

Mohammad also appealed to the government at all tiers to ensure medical lectures are placed on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), addressing disparities in their emoluments.

?We also want to have an environment where we will be able to practice and deliver the best quality healthcare in Nigeria,? he said.

Similarly, the Kwara Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, said the theme of the NEC meeting was apt, noting that appropriate policies were critical to assist the government in delivering quality healthcare to citizens.

El-Imam said policies must be targeted toward the right segments, domesticated to the peculiarities of the state or nation and effectively disseminated to the end users.

?All of these contribute towards ensuring that the life and health of the people are safeguarded,? she said.

In his presentation, the Guest Speaker, Dr Amos Magaji, a Lawmaker representing Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency of Kaduna State in the 10th National Assembly, underscored the importance of policymaking in healthcare delivery.

According to him, healthcare is fundamental to life, noting that policies such as the National Health Insurance Authority will ensure Nigerians are captured for healthcare services.

Similarly, Prof. Tanimola Akande, Consultant in Public Health at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), advised doctors to focus on their health and well-being.

He underscored the need for self-care, regular and comprehensive examinations and exercise.

Earlier, Prof. Kazeem Ibrahim, Chairman, Local Organising Committee, MDCAN-NEC meeting, said that innumerable policies have been formulated in the past without significant impact on the health of many vulnerable citizens.

Ibrahim noted that the meeting would proffer solutions to the challenges, as well as the ?Japa? syndrome, pushing health workers to migrate from the country due to abysmal working conditions. (NAN)

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