The Nigerian Medical Association in Oyo State has raised alarm over a severe shortage of doctors in public hospitals.
It warned that many facilities now operate with one or no doctors, endangering healthcare delivery.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Oyo State has expressed concern over the growing shortage of doctors across government-owned hospitals, warning that the situation poses a serious threat to healthcare delivery.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan, the NMA Chairperson, Dr. Happy Adedapo, described the situation as alarming, noting that several hospitals are operating with just one or two doctors, while some have none.
According to him, a review of more than 20 general hospitals in the state showed that facilities in Okaka, Iresa-Adu, Ikoyi-Ile, Sepeteri, Lanlate, and Ayete currently have no doctors at all. Others such as Igbeti, Igboho, Iganna, Iwere-Ile, Iseyin, Ago-Amodu, Ago-Are, Lagun, Eruwa, and Igboora each have only one doctor attending to hundreds of patients daily.
He added that a few hospitals, including those in Kisi, Okeho, and Tede, have two doctors each, while the General Hospital in Apata, Ibadan, stands out with four doctors, the highest among state-run hospitals. The Government House Clinic, he said, has one doctor, and the School of Hygiene Clinic operates without any.
Dr. Adedapo recalled that in the past, most general hospitals in the state had between five and seven doctors, but the number has drastically declined. “Today, some hospitals do not even have one doctor. Only a few are lucky to have up to three or four,” he said.
He urged the state government to act quickly to address the crisis, pointing out that LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, which once had about 150 doctors, now has fewer than 60.
He noted that the doctors who remain are overworked and poorly remunerated, even as many others continue to migrate abroad in search of better opportunities. While acknowledging that Governor Seyi Makinde recently visited the teaching hospital and made some commitments, Adedapo said more concrete action is needed.
He also disclosed that medical students at LAUTECH’s College of Medicine have been on strike for three months, describing it as another sign of the strain on the state’s healthcare system.
The NMA chairperson called for the implementation of the Medical Residency Training Fund, review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in line with federal adjustments, and improved welfare packages such as housing and car loans for medical personnel.
He stressed that better funding and working conditions are necessary to prevent further decline in healthcare delivery across Oyo State.
