SAN FRANCISCO, April 24, (THEWILL) – Minister of labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, has declared that there is nothing wrong with Nigerian doctors leaving the country to practice abroad insisting that Nigeria has “more than enough” medical personnel.
Speaking during a Channels TV programme on Wednesday, the minister defended the doctors’ search for green pastures elsewhere, saying “if you have surplus, you export.”
One of the programme anchors had asked him if he was worried about the rate doctors leave Nigeria to which he responded: “No, I am not worried (about doctors leaving the country). We have surplus. If you have surplus, you export.
“It happened some years ago here. I was taught chemistry and biology by Indian teachers in my secondary school days.
“There are surplus in their country and we also have surplus in the medical profession in our country. I can tell you this. In my area, we have excess.
“Who said we don’t have enough doctors? We have more than enough. You can quote me. There is nothing wrong in them travelling out.
“When they go abroad, they earn money and send them back home here. Yes, we have foreign exchange earnings from them and not just oil.
“Will you call that brain drain? I know a couple of them who practise abroad but set up medical centres back home. They have CAT scan, MRI scan which even the government cannot maintain. So, I don’t see any loss.”
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