Reaction have trailed comments by The Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Chris Ngige, suggesting that the mass exodus of doctors from Nigeria is not a thing to lose sleep about.
Chris Ngige had on Wednesday, said that he is not bothered about the decision of medical doctors who choose to leave Nigeria to practice outside the country.
While featuring as a guest Channels TV Sunrise Daily, Ngige said the practice is not alien to Nigeria, because he was taught by Indians in secondary school.
“I’m Not Worried, We Have Surplus (Doctors), if we have a surplus, we export. I was taught Biology and Chemistry by Indian teachers in my secondary school days.
“They are surplus in their country. We have a surplus in the medical profession in our country. I can tell you this. It is my area, we have excess. We have enough, more than enough, quote me.”
Nigerians in reaction to the minister’s comments have taken to social media to air their views on the subject matter, with many holding views at variance with Ngige’s claim that the nation has a surplus of medical doctors.
Below are what Nigerians are saying with respect to Ngige’s claim.
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With 1 doctor attending to over 4000 Nigerians, Nigeria’s minister of labor, Dr. Chris Ngige says, he’s not bothered by the 43,000 Nigerian registered doctors who have relocated abroad! pic.twitter.com/mTB1YplTEZ
— #TotalGossips (@total_gossips) April 24, 2019
The More I see this the more I weep for #Nigeria. #NGIGE #Doctorshttps://t.co/m6yr1YL2gs
— okwoche (@okwoche) April 24, 2019
There are about 70,000 registered Doctors in Nigeria. More than 35,000 of them are not practicing in Nigeria.They have left the country. This is from the minister of health himself.
We have an emergency situation in our hands and the utterances of Chris Ngige is an embarrassment
— Kelvin Odanz (@MrOdanz) April 24, 2019
“I am not worried (about doctors leaving d country). We have surplus. If you have surplus, you export” ~ Chris Ngige (Medical Doctor/Buhari’s minister
Nigeria has 35,000 practising doctors.
WHO recommends doctor:patient ratio of 1:600.
Nigeria needs an extra 260,000 doctors!
— Chuba Ugwu (@chonsyy) April 24, 2019
Someone should please tell Dr Chris Ngige that we need more doctors.
Nigeria don’t have enough doctors.
We have high mortality rate and our life expectancy is very short.
Ngige’s statement reflects the thought of Ndị APC.
What a shame?— Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel (@Chigold101) April 24, 2019
What we discovered when we came is that the economy wasn’t good. An economy where oil was selling at $116 a barrel, $2.2m barrels a day for many years and yet they had no savings. – Chris Ngige. #Sunrisedaily
— usmanov (@usmanyusuf) April 24, 2019
The annoying part is that he accused young Doctors of not working in rural areas.
God knows majority of <5 years postgraduation Drs are working in the rural areas under the private sector, not even Govt. Dr Chris Ngige is a huge disappointment to the @nmanigeria.
God save us!
— Vichi (@vichi_boy) April 24, 2019
There is a kind of infection in APC that turns every smart human to a full blown Idiot. Chris Ngige use to be a very smart Governor. Whatever happened must be really acidic.
Now I see what happened to Raji Fashola and the dude from ExxonMobil,Kachukwu.
— Barclays Obiora Achebe 🇳🇬 (@AchebeBarclays) April 24, 2019
Chris Ngige just spoke like a normal Igbo man in Alaba or Auto parts market that sees nothing wrong in the country as long as his containers are cleared.
What a waste! Buhari should do better in the second term! https://t.co/vTosms8BXt
— Anumoka O. Jesse (@AOJ_Jesse) April 24, 2019
We deserve the leaders we have, obviously. Even Dr Chris Ngige. But please, I really just need another country to adopt me. This is too much 😩
— Yeesha (@Sheytu) April 24, 2019
In a country where 1 Doctor attends to 5,000 patients. Chris Ngige says we have surplus Doctors and we’ll be fine if Doctors leave because he’s not worried.
But when he has a headache, he goes to India….. OK
— StonerAss (@Nastyshii1) April 24, 2019
@Fmohnigeria Pls show this to the honorable minister and Chris ngige pic.twitter.com/12xSG46PT9
— johnielegend (@drjohnie007) April 24, 2019
There are about 70,000 registered Doctors in Nigeria. More than 35,000 of them are not practicing in Nigeria.They have left the country. This is from the minister of health himself.
We have an emergency situation in our hands and the utterances of Chris Ngige is an embarrassment
— Kelvin Odanz (@MrOdanz) April 24, 2019
How Chris Ngige- one of the most respected governors in S.East Nigeria suddenly became a source of riducle in this govt has to be the single biggest mystery of governance!
From saying minumum wage is enough for a family of 4…. now doctors can leave Nigeria (Surplus doctors)
— the Morris Monye factor (@monye_morris) April 24, 2019
Prof Isaac Adewole and Dr Chris Ngige both swore the Hippocratic Oath. But they feel that patient to doctor ratio of 6000:1 is okay 🙃
— Bill Gates’ Maiguard (@knightofdelta) April 24, 2019
If my previous tweet did not enter your head where i said if your sickness is above malaria and typhoid you will die, then see this chart below.
This WHO chart shows us as the 4th worst country in WHO standards!
4th worst!!!!
So what the hell is Chris Ngige saying! pic.twitter.com/Y3r2JTcQSp
— the Morris Monye factor (@monye_morris) April 24, 2019
If we go by Dr Chris Ngige’s argument saying Doctors are free to leave Nigeria because they go, send money back home and get better training then every Nigerian should leave Nigeria to send money back home and get better training. Buhari’s incompetence has affected lots of people
— Jackson Ude (@jacksonpbn) April 24, 2019
