Dr Osagie Ehanire, Nigeria’s health minister has stated that Nigeria presently has adequate number of doctors, adding that the Federal Government is working on a consistent mechanism that replaces any medical doctor that resigns or leaves the country.
Ehanire disclosed it during a media briefing on Tuesday.
He also said there was no embargo on the employment of doctors and other health personnel in the country.
“There is no embargo on employing doctors; where there is a need, we do. But, because there is a Civil Service regulation, there are processes before doctors are employed.
“We have heard complaints of doctors who are now leaving the system but there are actually enough doctors in the system because we are producing up to 2,000 or 3,000 doctors every year in the country, and the number leaving is less than 1,000.
“It is just that the employment process needs to be smoothened,” he said.
The minister explained that the ministry was working with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to use the ‘One-for-One’ employment strategy so that if one doctor or nurse resigns to go abroad, another one is employed.
