Nigerians seem to be caught in the web of a debate following a recent bill by the House of Representatives, that proposes a mandatory five years service for medical practitioners trained in Nigeria before being issued licenses to practice fully.
The bill which seeks to curb brain drain in the Nigeria health sector has got some Nigerians backing the migration of Nigerian-trained doctors abroad while others are optimistic the bill would usher in a revival of an almost collapsed healthcare system if doctors stay back to practice in the country.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA has since resisted the bill. Speaking on Nigeria’s Info’s Morning Crossfire, the NMA Chairman in Rivers State, Dr Ebbi Robinson says it is a bruise on the fundamental right of doctors describing the bill as draconian.
He faulted the components of the bill for failing to address the main causes of brain drain, including shortage of manpower.
Dr Robinson also dismissed claims that the training fee paid by medical students is highly subsided by the government hence the reason for proposing a compulsory five-year service in order to give back to the country.
The Rivers NMA Chairman, further noted that the brain drain challenge also affects rural-urban migration within the nation. This he attributed to kidnappings and other security issues.
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