The President, Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Prof. Taiwo Obindo, says the country currently have a ratio of one qualified psychiatric doctor to about a million Nigerians.
He spoke on the sidelines of their 53rd Annual General and Scientific Meeting of all psychiatric doctors in Nigeria held at the Federal Neuropsychiatric, Hospital, Enugu.
Available data revealed that up to two-third well-trained and certified psychiatric Doctors leave the country annually in search for greener pastures.
The standard practice of one Psychiatric doctor should take care of 10,000 patients, but today the country has one Psychiatric doctor to a million Nigerians
The data states that Nigeria has less than 250 certified psychiatric Doctors throughout the country and more are leaving by the day.
At this 53rd Annual General Meeting, practitioners call for the passage of the National Mental Health Bill as amended to give proper administration to mental health treatment in the country.
They propose that mental health be incorporated in primary healthcare system to cater for the primary and secondary institution treating mental health disorder
The host medical Director of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu associated mental health challenges to insecurity, mental trauma and stress by some Nigerians.
The state Governor reinstates its administration’s commitment to providing sound Healthcare services from Primary to Tertiary healthcare delivery to the people.
The event featured participation of psychotic health practitioners across the length and Breath of Nigeria.
Observers have pinpointed several factors as being responsible for brain drain in the Health Sector with many saying the issue of welfare and especially payment of Salaries as the main factors.
Others have however said the main challenge faced by workers in the health sector is the poor equipment, infrastructure and the general working conditions which has made it particularly challenging to even treat routine health issues as common as Cold or Malaria.
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