Not fewer than 150 Nigerian doctors who are interested in practising in the United Kingdom are currently set to take clinical examinations which will decide their eligibility.
According to Punch, the coronavirus pandemic delayed the examination usually conducted by the General Medical Council, who are responsible for granting licences to medical doctors in the UK.
Report revealedthat about 8,384 Nigerian medical doctors were practising in the UK as of June 9, 2021. But the council’s Senior Media Officer, Miranda Newey, in an e-mail sent to the publication, said the figure of Nigerian doctors in the UK would have increased if not for the pandemic.
Newey said, “There have been significant delays for Nigerian doctors taking our clinical examination before gaining registration due to the pandemic. From the information I have here, we have 150 doctors who have been delayed. I hope to get more data to share with you to enable you to do the comparison you want.”
Reacting to the news, the National President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, called on the Federal Government to quickly address the emigration of highly trained medical practitioners.
Okhuaihesuyi in an interview with Punch said.
He said, “It is normal for us to experience brain drain and I don’t blame the doctors migrating. Look at those of us who have chosen to stay behind. The only way the Federal Government can address this is if it attends to the demands of doctors.
“Look at resident doctors; most of our members are still being owed. If our welfare is of paramount interest, there won’t be a need to migrate.”