The Kwara State Government is facing a serious shortage of medical doctors in its public hospitals. The Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Hospital Management Board, Abdulrahman Malik, shared this update during a press briefing for the first quarter of 2025.
He said that even though the government wants to hire more doctors, many are not interested in working for the state. This is because of the growing “Japa” trend, where professionals leave Nigeria to work abroad for better opportunities.
Right now, only 89 doctors are working in government hospitals in the state, but between 180 and 200 doctors are actually needed to serve the population well. The number increased slightly from 86 after three doctors returned because the government increased salaries to match what doctors earn in federal hospitals.
Malik said the state is also trying to improve hospital facilities and make it easier for doctors to work in rural areas, where most don’t want to go.
To deal with the shortage of nurses, the government has started a program to train intern nurses who can replace those that have left for jobs abroad.
“The mass exit of doctors and nurses is making it hard for us to care for patients,” Malik said.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has approved better salaries for doctors to help keep them in the state. But even with the new salary, the number of doctors is still far too low.
Currently, there is only one doctor for every 5,000 people in Nigeria. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends one doctor for every 600 people.
