The National Hospital in Abuja has said the brain drain plaguing the health sector has reduced its workforce from 3,000 to 2,500 (about 17 per cent loss).
This is in spite of its 25 years of medical breakthroughs and significant staff expansion, the hospital said.
The Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Muhammad Raji, disclosed these challenges in an interview Tuesday in Abuja.
Mr Raji highlighted the hospital’s achievements and its ongoing impact amid the challenges.
Reflecting on the hospital’s remarkable growth over its 25-year history, the CMD said it began operations with a small number of members of staff, offering limited services primarily for women and children.
“Today, we provide comprehensive treatment for all genders and ages.
“Our services have grown significantly over the years, and so has our workforce,” he said.
He stated that the hospital now had at least 2,500 employees, adding that, “If it was not for the brain drain affecting our workforce, we would be talking about 3,000 today.”
He also underscored the hospital’s pioneering achievements, including being the first in Africa to have an Alinach Machine and leading in Nigeria for Invitro Fertilisation (IVF).
“Notable milestones include separating conjoined twins, performing the first open brain surgery with the patient fully awake, and pioneering treatments for chronic arthritis and brain surgeries.
“The hospital also celebrated the birth of sextuplets, all of whom survived,” he said.
He recalled that years ago, many Nigerians left for the Middle East for better opportunities, a trend that had recently resurfaced.
NAN