The former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, has raised concerns about the rate at which medical professionals are leaving Nigeria in search of better prospects overseas. Mimiko warned that if the rate continues, only native doctors may be available to provide healthcare services in the country within five to ten years.
Mimiko made this statement during the first group of medical doctors’ induction ceremony at the University of Medical Sciences, UNIMED, located in Ondo Town, emphasising that the medical brain drain is alarming and may indicate a state of war in the country.
He established UNIMED, during his administration as a two-term governor of Ondo State, to help address the shortage of medical personnel in the country. According to Mimiko, “it is extremely concerning that medical professionals are trained at subsidised rates in Nigeria before leaving for industrialised nations.”
He also called on the government to recognise the gravity of the situation and take appropriate measures to reduce the rate of emigration of medical professionals by incentivising them to stay and discouraging other nations from hiring them. Mimiko argued that it is crucial for the government to be accountable and take advantage of the opportunity to enhance the skills of medical professionals within the country.
He concluded his speech by stating that the situation is an emergency that the government needs to address before it becomes too late. “If we continue at this rate, in another five to ten years, only the “babalawos” (herbalists) will be available to take care of us.”
