Every literate person knows that we don't have enough medical doctors in Nigeria, because the doctor-patient ratio of 1:6400 in Nigeria falls short of the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of 1:600.

Confirmed reports say medical schools in Nigeria graduate between 2,500 and 4,000 new doctors annually and almost all of them are self-sponsored and study under pressure of inadequate facilities and their hostels are an eyesore. And the few available doctors are not well paid and the public hospitals are scary, because they lack the most important life saving supplies in medical equipment.

“Over 100,000 applicants show interest in studying Medicine and Surgery annually but less than 5 percent are offered admission. Universities cannot admit more than a certain quota, based on Nigerian University Council (NUC) policy. This is due to lack of infrastructures in our universities. The onus lies on the Government to increase funding for education to put in place requisite facilities. This in turn would increase the number of applicants admitted to study medicine, increase the number of medical graduates and reduce the current Doctor-Patient ratio,” said former President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele.

The British National Health Service (NHS) fact sheet on the number of registered doctors shows that over 3, 936 Nigerian doctors are in active service in the UK.
There are over 71,740 Nigerian medical and dental practitioners, but only about 39, 000 are working in Nigeria. And reports have confirmed that Nigerians spend over N78 billion annually on foreign medical trips and the biggest spenders are members of the ruling class in the corridors of power, including the honourable Minister of Health.

In view of the national emergency in the health sector with underpaid medical doctors often going on strike and poor patients suffering and dying when they would have been saved, the government should know that the solution is to address the scarcity of qualified medical doctors and lack of modern medicare.

The fact that over 100, 000 Nigerian students apply for admission in the few medical schools is enough proof that Nigeria can meet the doctor-patient ratio of 1:600 of the World Health Organization (WHO). And the only way to do so is to give full scholarship to all medical students instead of wasting billions of naira on foreign medical trips. The billions are enough to train more medical doctors and improve the quality of health care in the most populous country in Africa.

There is enough money from the oil and gas sector that made over $73 billion in 2013 and projected to contribute $108 billion per year by 2030. The government can use just only 10 per cent of the annual revenues from the oil and gas sector to pay for full scholarship of all medical students to study in Nigeria and then spend at least a year in the best medical schools in the world.
Kebbi state government recently released N176 million (over $1.1 million) for the payment of tuition and registration fees for 62 students sponsored to study medicine in Indian and Sudanese universities. This is laudable and the federal government should able to do more than that for the common benefit of all Nigerians.

Wealthy Nigerians who are making billions of naira should also contribute to provide full scholarship to Nigerian students to study medicine and they should also donate world class medical equipment to public hospitals and medical centers in Nigeria.

Na only una waka come

Op...are u a medical student?

Sallychizzl3: ..

You don book space already?

I diagree

I disagree

Michaellegend: Op...are u a medical student?

I am not a medical student or doctor.

hopelink1: I diagree

Why?
Make a logical point to defend your opposition to full scholarship to Nigerian students of medicine.

Meaning what? Are doctors the ones who research and produce drugs or carry out various laboratory tests? Are they the ones who educated the engineers, the bankers and others. What makes you think that givin scholarship to medical students will better the country or did they force anyone to go into medical school. I don't even know why people think that doctors need special previledges while forgetting that doctors are absolutely nothing without pharmacist, microbiologist, nurses, Lab scientist,lecturers, engineers and all others. During this ebola outbreak what this nation needs is good pharmaceutical and research industries to create a cure and not a bunch of money-driven maniac who feeds on ready-made products while taking all the credit for it. Doctors don't deserve a dime if they can't fend for themselves.

And before you conclude, I'm studying medicine and surgery here in canada and I still don't think doctors should be treated any different from the rest.


From my own point of view federal government should give scholarship to those who merit it even if they want to study architecture or food science.

macsika: Meaning what? Are doctors the ones who research and produce drugs or carry out various laboratory tests? Are they the ones who educated the engineers, the bankers and others. What makes you think that givin scholarship to medical students will better the country or did they force anyone to go into medical school. I don't even know why people think that doctors need special previledges while forgetting that doctors are absolutely nothing without pharmacist, microbiologist, nurses, Lab scientist,lecturers, engineers and all others. During this ebola outbreak what this nation needs is good pharmaceutical and research industries to create a cure and not a bunch of money-driven maniac who feeds on ready-made products while taking all the credit for it. Doctors don't deserve a dime if they can't fend for themselves.

And before you conclude, I'm studying medicine and surgery here in canada and I still don't think doctors should be treated any different from the rest.


From my own point of view federal government should give scholarship to those who merit it even if they want to study architecture or food science.

brilliant

Orikinla:
Why?
Make a logical point to defend your opposition to full scholarship to Nigerian students of medicine.

scholarship should be given to those that deserve it not to people who fight everyday for increment in salary, that's not service to humanity

hopelink1: brilliant

thankyou.

Orikinla:

I am not a medical student or doctor.

oh...I disagree with u. Medicine is not the only course in this country and in the world as a whole. If u want the fg to provide full scholarship for all medical students, they should also make preparation for other health sciences. cos doctors are not d only onces in the health sector...just my opinion.

Comin bak, wen it makes FP. Space buyers Beware of 419s.

I totally agreed with the OP provided they would work free of charge for the rest of their career.........I don't know why some set of people in their chosen career believed they are more important than the rest of the country. The Doctors worked in tandem with all sector of the country's workforce. They prescribed drugs produced by the pharmacists (which was researched by the lab scientists). Even the buildings being used for Hospitals is built by the engineer. The Ambulance in the hospitals are driven by some people. The equipments are produced by some people. Everybody worked for the betterment of our health sector.

macsika: Meaning what? Are doctors the ones who research and produce drugs or carry out various laboratory tests? Are they the ones who educated the engineers, the bankers and others. What makes you think that givin scholarship to medical students will better the country or did they force anyone to go into medical school. I don't even know why people think that doctors need special previledges while forgetting that doctors are absolutely nothing without pharmacist, microbiologist, nurses, Lab scientist,lecturers, engineers and all others. During this ebola outbreak what this nation needs is good pharmaceutical and research industries to create a cure and not a bunch of money-driven maniac who feeds on ready-made products while taking all the credit for it. Doctors don't deserve a dime if they can't fend for themselves.

And before you conclude, I'm studying medicine and surgery here in canada and I still don't think doctors should be treated any different from the rest.


From my own point of view federal government should give scholarship to those who merit it even if they want to study architecture or food science.

[size=18pt]
What is doctor-patient ratio in Canada compared to Nigeria?
What is the per capita income of those in Canada compared to Nigeria?
What is the GDP of Canada compared to Nigeria?[/size]

Abbycite: I totally agreed with the OP provided they would work free of charge for the rest of their career.........I don't know why some set of people in their chosen career believed they are more important than the rest of the country. The Doctors worked in tandem with all sector of the country's workforce. They prescribed drugs produced by the pharmacists (which was researched by the lab scientists). Even the buildings being used for Hospitals is built by the engineer. The Ambulance in the hospitals are driven by some people. The equipments are produced by some people. Everybody worked for the betterment of our health sector.

Nobody is asking for scholarship for students of medicine, because we think they are better than lawyers, engineers and other professionals in Nigeria, but because [size=28pt]WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MEDICAL DOCTORS.[/size]

Please, make reasonable comments.

Orikinla:
[size=18pt]
What is doctor-patient ratio in Canada compared to Nigeria?
What is the per capita income of those in Canada compared to Nigeria?
What is the GDP of Canada compared to Nigeria?[/size]

I ain't comparing Canada to Nigeria for christ sake. I simply disproved the motion you made that all medical students in nigeria should be given scholarship while the rest should stand and watch, wishing they were medical students. That's not right and unfair.
By the way, I'm also a Nigerian.

macsika: I ain't comparing Canada to Nigeria for christ sake. I simply disproved the motion you made that all medical students in nigeria should be given scholarship while the rest should stand and watch, wishing they were medical students. That's not right and unfair.
By the way, I'm also a Nigerian.

Many graduates of other disciplines have become redundant, because there are no more jobs for them in the 21st century.
But medical doctors are in demand in Nigeria.
Some students are more special than others.
We need more medical doctors than fine artists and dramatists.
If 100, 000 Nigerian youths want to study medicine, the government should provide scholarship for all of them in order to increase the number of doctors we need.

Orikinla:

Nobody is asking for scholarship for students of medicine, because we think they are better than lawyers, engineers and other professionals in Nigeria, but because [size=28pt]WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MEDICAL DOCTORS.[/size]

Please, make reasonable comments.

... and if Nigeria as a country wants more medical practitioners all it needs is to:


1. create various schools of medicine, just like we have school of nursing.

2. Slash the Jamb and post UTME score of potential schools offering medicine.


If the FG thinks no 2. Above would be bring a form of mediocrity into the system then I'd the government to introduce credibility right away, because more often than not we've had qualified students who couldn't get admitted just because they aren't connected and all sorts of that bullshitts.



In short, FG should create more medical schools and not waste our precious money on medical students.

long and senseless




didnt even bother to read it#yawns


incase they will sha,dy shldnt forget to dish out commercial students money too,excess money rolls out everyday ,

Scholarship for medical students will not solve the issue of doctor to patient ratio.

The federal government should build more medical school, upgrade the facilities of the existing medical schools. This will help solve the problem of lack of doctors in Nigeria.

Orikinla:

Nobody is asking for scholarship for students of medicine, because we think they are better than lawyers, engineers and other professionals in Nigeria, but because [size=28pt]WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MEDICAL DOCTORS.[/size]

Please, make reasonable comments.

You shouldn't have said that. Looking at it critically, you are the one reasoning with ur arse. If not, why should they give every body seeking Medical education a scholarship. Don't u know this would invariable make every Jack and Jill with half the brain to seek the course as an undergraduate.

I disagree, you shouldn't just give away scholarships to every dick and harry that gets admission to study medicine we all know how corrupt d admission process is in naija unis, rest assured d brilliant ones are on scholarship(s) personally I'm on 4 scholarships(not bragging) but there needs to be increased funding for medical education in terms of facilities and research especially in d teaching hospitals, countries with good healthcare take funding of colleges of medicine seriously

so what happens to engineers? am sure u soon be talikng of telemedicine

...I totally disagree...As a medical students, they enjoy alot of benefits while in school.....
.....If you have one of the best result in your, you can put in for any scholarship in your state....Apart from that, they receive a huge sum of money for their bursary fees annually.....
....Nowadays, medical students dont buy books like b4....tru-out my stay in school, i had mayb just 4 or 5 text-books.....we prefer e-books and soft-copies......
...So, tell me...What makes think they should be given a prefential treatment??....Pple in other departments already have dis low-self esteem or wereva.....now u want to complicate issues for dem....

temigracie: ...I totally disagree...As medical students, they enjoy alot of benefits while in school.....
.....If you have one of the best result in your, you can put in for any scholarship in your state....Apart from that, they receive a huge sum of money for their bursary fees annually.....
....Nowadays, medical students dont buy books like b4....tru-out my stay in school, i had mayb just 4 or 5 text-books.....we prefer e-books and soft-copies......
...So, tell me...What makes think they should be given a prefential treatment??....Pple in other departments already have dis low-self esteem or wereva.....now u want to complicate issues for dem....

Well, Rivers State, Kebbi State and other states are already giving full scholarship to their students of medicine overseas.
So, you want them to stop?

Building more schools of medicine is good, but until the government can even upgrade the few ones, they can give more scholarships to students of medicine.

Orikinla:

Well, Rivers State, Kebbi State and other states are already giving full scholarship to their students of medicine overseas.
So, you want them to stop?

Building more schools of medicine is good, but until the government can even upgrade the few ones, they can give more scholarships to students of medicine.

...All am saying is that, they should not b given a prefential treatment .....There are other departments on school that needs this encouragemnt...eg pharmacy, dentistry, research institutes etc.....

Anyone is free to disagree.
This is the beauty of free speech.
But I will continue to support scholarships for all Nigerian medical students.
Sydney School of Medicine is offering medical scholarships to international students till 2016.
http://sydney.edu.au/scholarships/research/medical_scholarships.shtml

And more on http://www.scholars4dev.com/4031/list-of-european-countries-with-tuition-freelow-tuition-universities-colleges/

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when hunger and starvation is killing people faster i think agricultural student should be giving full scholarship. abi hw you see d mata?