‘They can only define the terms,’ as Nigerian doctors react to UK suspension of Nigeria from recruitment list
Following the decision by the United Kingdom Government to suspend recruitment of health and social care professionals from Nigeria, Nigerian medical practitioners insist the move does not mask the shortcomings in the sector.
While the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) said there are still other countries available, adding that the UK Government can only define its terms of emigration, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), on its part, advised that the Nigerian government should instead boost ‘production capacity so that even when these foreign countries come…you will turn it to an advantage.’
It would be recalled that UK, last Monday, removed Nigeria, along with 53 other countries from its medical professionals, and social care workers recruitment catchment list.
UK health and social care employers had previously targeted the listed countries for recruitment of their employees, a situation which experts have blamed for brain drain in the affected nations.
The UK decision was contained in the revised code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel made available in England.
The revised code of practice applies to the appointment of all international health and social care personnel in the UK, including all permanent, temporary, and locum staff in clinical and non-clinical settings.
Although this includes but not only restricted to allied health professionals, care workers, dentists, doctors, healthcare scientists, medical staff, midwives, nursing staff, residential and domiciliary care workers, social workers, and support staff.
The revised code of practice, however, stated that health and social care organisations in England do not actively recruit from those countries the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises as having the most pressing health and care workforce-related challenges unless there is government-to-government agreement to support managed recruitment activities.
According to reports, there are currently 11,055 Nigerian-trained doctors in the UK, based on statistics obtained from the UK General Medical Council- the government body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners.
Reacting to the suspension, NMA President, Dr Uche Ojinmah, noted that Nigerian doctors only seek for greener pastures to other countries because they are poorly treated by the government.
“I don’t actually begrudge the UK for recruiting Nigerian doctors because it’s the poor treatment they are getting from Nigeria that’s pushing them away. If the Nigerian government and people place a premium on Nigerians, they obviously won’t migrate.
“It is okay that the UK is placing us on the lower rungs for recruitment but what about the United States of America, Canada, Grenada, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, South Africa, Germany, etc?
“Nobody can take away the freedom of movement; it’s a fundamental right. They can only define the terms,” Ojinmah said.
Also reacting, President of NARD, Dr Emeka Orji, insisted that doctors have the liberty to go to other countries to practise the profession.
“The truth is that it is not only the UK that Nigerian health workers go to and even with this list, it only means that they will not only be headhunting our health workers. So, that doesn’t mean people can’t apply to work in the UK.
“The government is now complaining that there is a brain drain but we have always known this and we have been talking about it. What is now expected is that government should increase the production capacity so that even when these foreign countries come for the doctors, nurses, and other health workers, you will turn it to an advantage, improve on training, infrastructure, improve your personnel and fund health, so that you will not be complaining to foreign countries to stop encroaching on your medical workforce. What you should be doing is encouraging it as long as you have enough,” he said.
