By Darlington Onedibe
The Vice President of the West African College of Physicians (WACP), Prof. Benjamin Uzochukwu, has called for immediate and sweeping reforms to the nation’s healthcare system to prevent a total collapse of medical delivery. ​
Speaking yesterday, Prof. Uzochukwu issued a stark warning that failure to address deteriorating working conditions, chronic underfunding, and decaying infrastructure will accelerate the mass migration of skilled medical professionals, often referred to as the ‘brain drain’ and leave the healthcare sector further crippled. ​
Prof. Uzochukwu emphasized that the continuous exodus of doctors, nurses, and specialists to Western nations is directly linked to the poor state of local medical facilities and inadequate welfare packages.
Medical professionals are facing burnout due to severe understaffing and overextended shifts. Not to mention the low budgetary allocation to health continues to stall hospital upgrades and the procurement of essential medical technologies.
Many public health institutions lack the basic tools and stable utilities required to provide safe, standard patient care. ​The WACP Vice President urged the government and relevant stakeholders to treat the healthcare crisis as a national security priority.
He noted that the country cannot achieve universal health coverage or effectively manage health emergencies if its best minds continue to seek better opportunities abroad.
​”We are losing our finest hands at a time when we need them most,” Uzochukwu warned, stressing that only deliberate political will, robust funding, and immediate institutional reforms can reverse the tide and restore confidence in the nation’s healthcare delivery system.
