WHO says there are 370 medical doctors in every 10,000 Nigerians – it is low

Nigerians know that we produce a number of Medical Doctors every year, but we couldn’t really put a number on it with nuance until now.

However, even the low number is getting lower – Nigeria has a terrible rate of unemployment and terrible working conditions for employed people.

For now though, the outrage is about to get even bigger with the World Health Organization study on Medical Doctors in each country,by every 1,000 people. The study, as published by an index-based Twitter page, Spectator’s Index revealed that Nigeria produces 0.37 Medical Doctors in every 1,000 people.

For nuance, it means Nigeria produces 370 Medical Doctors in every 10,000 Nigerians. That also tallies with the 5,000 or thereabouts Lawyers we churn out of the Nigerian Law School every year. The problem though is not with the rate we churn out, but the availability of good jobs, that can satisfy Nigerian Medical Doctors.

Another problem is that, by Nigerian standards, these Doctors are paid during their housemanship well, and they struggle to find jobs that can match their bills once they get into real practice.

An April 2018 article by the Premium Times notes that an official of Medical Doctors Council of Nigeria told them that Nigeria has about 80,000 registered Medical Doctors.

What Doctors earn in Nigeria?

Medical Practice is one of the most profitable fields in the world. In fact, Nurses are regarded as some of the highest paid people in the US.

In Nigeria, and by Nigerian standards, Medical Practice is profitable for Doctors during housemanship and does well for them during NYSC. The problem is when they get into the real world, where they struggle to find good jobs and nobody is obliged to take them on. The then compete in tough labour market, and earn terrible money.

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