By Chioma Obinna

Family Physicians have decried the dearth of medical doctors in the country, lamenting the ratio of one doctor to 6,400 patients as against the World Health Organisation WHO, recommendation of one doctor to 600 patients.

The medical professionals under the auspices of Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria, SOFPON and the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, AGPMPN, say the poor distribution of doctors has put millions in the rural communities at the mercy of quacks.

Speaking on this year’s World Family Doctor Day in Lagos, Chairman, AGPMPN, Dr.  Adeyeye Arigbabuwo said currently, Nigeria has just 9,000 doctors serving over 160 million people.

In a breakdown, he said the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN has on their register 65,000 doctors, out of which 40,000 are practicing in the Diaspora. Of the 25,000 doctors currently practicing in Nigeria, 16,000 are resident doctors who he said may decide to leave on  completion of their training, leaving the country with 9,000 doctors.

He said even the 25,000 were unfavourably distributed with the majority being concentrated in the urban areas.Arigbabuwo said family medicine, the world over, is now a terrain of the most versatile and intelligent in the field of specialities.

“The Family Physician is the family doctor, first contact, gate keeper who attends to most of the common ailments of the end user of healthcare and is the custodian of primary care medical practice. The UK recently churned out 2,500 family physicians.”

He, however, disclosed that about 350 family physicians will graduate from post graduate training in September.

Also speaking, National President, SOFPON, Lagos Zone, Dr Akin Moses, who was represented by Dr. Blessing Chukwukelu, said 80 percent of medical cases are seen by family physicians before others.

He said Nigeria has 400 consultant family physicians even as the Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria has continued to improve the quality of healthcare delivery in Nigeria,  commencing diploma in Family Medicine training four years ago.

“We have been encouraging medical students to contribute in the healthcare services especially at the primary and secondary care levels by choosing family medicine as a specialty.”

On his part, Head Family Physician, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Dr. Ayo Adedokun lamented that   in Nigeria one woman in 16 cases will  die of pregnancy related problems.

“Pregnancy is like a death sentence here due to inability of health facilities to procure needed medical equipment, delays, shortage of skilled health workers, and other personnel.  In the past it was said that every five minutes a Nigerian child under five years dies but currently it has come down to two minutes.

“In Lagos alone, 80 percent of health problems are solved by private facilities and it is only family physicians that can reach the rural areas. This profession has not been accorded the right attention. Properly trained family physicians are what the country needs now to correct the health challenges, and move in the right direction that would lead to reduction of infant, child and maternal mortality.”