One Doctor Handles 6,000 Patients, Faces Burnout And Economic Strain – MDCAN President
The President of the c, Prof. Aminu Mohammad, has lamented the harsh economic conditions are having a severe impact on the services of its members, revealing that some of them have been forced to abandon their vehicles and resort to public transportation to get to work.
The MDCAN president expressed concern that the situation was not only affecting the dignity of medical doctors but also had a negative impact on the nation’s healthcare system.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise, the professor noted that while over 110,000 doctors were registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, only about 54,000 renewed their licenses for 2024.
The don also lamented that the doctor-to-population ratio in Nigeria was very high, with one doctor catering to over 6,000 patients.
This, he said, leads to overwork and burnout among doctors, which could negatively impact the quality of care provided to patients.
“One of the major problems in our environment is human resources for health. If you look at it, there are 110,000 doctors on the register of the Medical and Dental Council. However, only about half of that number, roughly 54,000, have registered their licenses for 2024. This means that what is available for the country is far less than even the 110,000. If you divide 110,000 by 220 million or 230 million (the average population of Nigeria), you can see the doctor-to-population ratio.
He said, “The ideal situation is that one doctor should cater for 600 people. But what we are currently seeing is that one doctor is taking care of more than 6,000, which is 10 times more than the expected workload.
“Based on this, there has to be a deliberate effort to retain healthcare workers and improve their welfare, not only in terms of Naira and Kobo but also by offering additional benefits, such as housing loans, vehicle loans, and other provisions to help healthcare workers feel comfortable and remain in the country.
“As it stands now when you compare what an average doctor is earning today to what they earned five years ago, it’s like they’re receiving only one-tenth of their previous salary.”
If you compare their salary to the dollar, doctors used to earn about $2,000 to $3,000 five to ten years ago, but now they are earning only about $300. This significantly reduces their purchasing power and their ability to afford basic necessities,” he said.
Speaking further on how hardship is affecting doctors, the MDCAN president explained, “With the ongoing economic difficulties, doctors have started selling their vehicles and either resorting to public transportation or even working directly in commercial jobs, which should not be the case.
“They are fully aware that if they leave the country and move to other African nations, they could earn six to ten times more than what they make in Nigeria. Therefore, there must be a deliberate effort to keep healthcare workers in the country.”
The MDCAN president emphasised the need for the government to take deliberate steps to improve the welfare of doctors and other healthcare workers.
He appealed to the government to provide a conducive working environment for healthcare workers, including adequate infrastructure, equipment, and personnel, to enable them to deliver quality healthcare services to Nigerians.
“There is a need to improve other basic resources, education, security, and many other things that will improve the work comfort for that doctor. And then if you look at this now, when the pro-ratio of doctors to population is very high, there is always a tendency for overwork and burnout. And that doctor may not have even his normal, usual, off-duty responsibilities,” he stated.
Mohammad, however, called for an increase in the retirement age of healthcare workers, improved working conditions, and better remuneration.
He noted, “Capable doctors and nurses can continue offering their services up to the age of 65 or 70. For example, if you consider a specialist doctor, the average age at which they begin government employment is around 35. This is because the education process alone takes time; 6 years in primary school, 6 years in secondary school, and 6 years in medical school, which totals 18 years. Then, after completing 1 to 3 years for a house job and national service, you’re looking at around 21 years. By the time they become a specialist, it takes about 7 to 8 years to become a consultant. So, by the time this process is complete, they’re around 34 or 35 years old.
“This means that these doctors will only serve the nation for about 20 to 25 years, even if they remain in the country. So, when they retire at the age of 60, their actual working years are only around 20 to 25. This is why the investment made in them is so valuable.
“That’s why we are calling on the government to increase the retirement age of healthcare workers. This way, we won’t lose experienced healthcare workers to retirement, especially given the current scarcity.
“If the government takes these steps by improving welfare and increasing the retirement age, it will allow older, experienced healthcare workers to continue guiding the younger generation, ensuring that we don’t face a shortage.”
The MDCAN President also noted that the government’s policy of doubling the enrollment of healthcare students is a good step, but it will take time to materialise.
“One of the government’s policies is to double the enrollment of healthcare students. However, even if this policy is implemented, it will take time to show results. And if there are no deliberate efforts to improve the welfare of healthcare workers to encourage them to stay, then it’s like opening a tap on a bad seed. If more healthcare workers are trained but continue to leave the country, the efforts made will be in vain,” he stressed.
The association’s lamentation is coming at a time when the country’s healthcare system is facing numerous challenges, including brain drain, inadequate funding, and poor infrastructure.
