Ondo now has one physician for 6,000 people, NMA warns

Ondo State has lost about 400 doctors to migration and other forms of workforce attrition in five years, leaving approximately 500 doctors in public health institutions to serve a population facing growing healthcare demands.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) disclosed the figures on Monday, warning that the shortage was increasing pressure on remaining medical personnel, heightening burnout and threatening the quality of healthcare delivery across the state.

The NMA chairman in Ondo State, Dr Roland Bola Arohunmolase, raised the concern in Akure during activities marking the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria”.

Speaking on behalf of the association’s national president, Professor Afekhide Ernest Omoti, Arohunmolase said the state’s doctor-to-patient ratio had deteriorated to approximately one doctor for every 6,000 people.

He explained that Ondo previously had between 900 and 1,000 doctors in its healthcare system, but the number had fallen to about 500 across state and federal government health establishments, excluding private facilities.

The decline, he said, had placed an enormous burden on the remaining practitioners, making it increasingly difficult for the state’s public healthcare system to meet residents’ medical needs.

Arohunmolase appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration to introduce stronger incentives to attract and retain doctors, including improved remuneration and better working conditions.

Although he commended the governor for approving the national circular on doctors’ remuneration issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, he noted that some states offered more competitive pay packages that could attract experienced medical professionals away from Ondo.

He said improved salaries and working conditions would help reduce exhaustion among doctors and other healthcare workers while encouraging more practitioners to remain in the state.

The NMA chairman also blamed inadequate hospital infrastructure and shortages of essential medical equipment for the continued preference among wealthy Nigerians, including politicians, for treatment abroad.

He expressed concern that Ondo might not have up to four defibrillators, devices used to treat certain life-threatening heart rhythm abnormalities.

According to him, the problem extends beyond the number of available doctors to the conditions under which they work and the equipment needed to provide effective treatment.

He argued that many Nigerian doctors practising abroad had received their medical training in the country, suggesting that inadequate facilities and working conditions were major factors undermining confidence in domestic healthcare.

Arohunmolase called for increased government investment in the sector, noting that Nigeria’s estimated allocation of two to three per cent of its budget to healthcare remained well below the 15 per cent commitment made by African governments under the Abuja Declaration.

The concerns were echoed by Omoti, who warned that poor welfare, professional burnout, insecurity and declining remuneration threatened the future of medical practice in Nigeria.

He called for safer workplaces, adequate staffing, sufficient rest and access to psychological support, stressing that exhausted doctors could struggle to provide the quality of care patients deserved.

Omoti also urged governments to address the conditions driving medical migration, arguing that appeals to patriotism would not be enough to retain skilled professionals without competitive salaries, career development opportunities and professional dignity.

He advocated greater investment in health infrastructure, medical education and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and telemedicine, while emphasising the importance of maintaining the human relationship between doctors and patients.

The NMA’s warning places renewed pressure on the Ondo State Government to strengthen public hospitals, improve doctors’ welfare and recruit additional medical personnel as the state grapples with a shrinking workforce and rising demands for healthcare services.