Oluwatosin Adeshokan 1 , Chiebuka Obumselu , freelance journalists 2 1Lagos 2Abuja oluwatosin.adeshokan{at}outlook.frNigeria’s politicians have proposed requiring doctors to stay in the country for five years to get a licence, to help stem the tide of medical talent it loses to higher income countries. If passed, the amendment to the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act would require all medical and dental practitioners trained in Nigeria to practise there for a minimum period before obtaining a full licence. Politicians and citizens alike often bring up the average cost of university education and medical degree training as one of the reasons Nigeria’s doctors shouldn’t leave the country. Medical students at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital vehemently rejected the idea. Withholding licences is “hypocritical,” they told The BMJ, particularly since the government has consistently neglected investment in the country’s healthcare.

Source: The Guardian October 23, 2023 11:32 UTC