Ondo NMA seeks better welfare to curb Japa syndrome in Health sector

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ondo State branch, says ongoing stakeholder engagements aimed at improving the welfare and remuneration of medical professionals will go a long way in curbing the “Japa syndrome” and the growing brain drain in Nigeria’s health sector.

State Chairman of the Association, Dr. Olumuyiwa Alonge, made this known at the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the NMA held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Nigeria’s healthcare system is currently grappling with a critical shortage of medical professionals, fueled by the mass exodus of doctors and other healthcare workers to developed countries — a trend popularly known as the Japa syndrome.

According to statistics from the Nigerian Medical Association and the General Medical Council in the UK, between 2021 and 2024, no fewer than 8,560 Nigerian doctors registered to practice in the UK — accounting for 39% of all international registrations. Within the same period, over 2,400 Nigerian doctors also migrated to the US, Canada, and Australia.

At the conference, stakeholders expressed concern over the alarming trend and called for urgent action.

The state chairman of MMA, Olumuyiwa Alonge said improved remuneration, reduced workload, and better working conditions are key to reversing the tide.

Also speaking at the event, former Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge, who delivered a lecture on the theme “Delivery of Quality Healthcare to the People of Ondo State in the Face of Dwindling Human Resources,” emphasized that despite the challenges, quality healthcare delivery is still achievable.

Representing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, said the present administration is taking proactive steps to bridge the manpower gap and reposition the healthcare sector in Ondo State.