Korede Abdullah 
ONDO, Nigeria – Ondo State has lost more than 400 doctors from its medical workforce over five years, leaving about 500 doctors in public health institutions and intensifying concerns over staffing shortages and access to healthcare, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said.
The state NMA chairman, Dr Roland Bola Arohunmolase, disclosed this in Akure on Monday during the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria.”
Arohunmolase said the state previously had between 900 and 1,000 doctors in its healthcare system, but the number had fallen significantly as medical professionals left through migration and other forms of workforce attrition. “There was a time when we had about 900 doctors, or close to 1,000, in our healthcare system. However, an average of about 400 doctors have exited the system. This emigration has placed an enormous burden on the healthcare sector,” he said.
He said the decline had placed additional pressure on the doctors remaining in the system, with the reported doctor-to-population ratio standing at approximately one physician to 6,000 residents. The NMA chairman called on the Ondo State Government to improve doctors’ welfare, remuneration and working conditions to reduce burnout and retain medical professionals.
He commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for approving the national remuneration circular for doctors, describing improved pay as an important step towards addressing concerns about welfare and staff retention.
However, Arohunmolase said remuneration alone would not resolve the challenges facing the health sector, urging the government to invest in functional hospitals, modern medical equipment and other essential infrastructure.
He linked weaknesses in healthcare infrastructure and equipment to Nigeria’s medical tourism challenge, arguing that the problem was not necessarily a lack of competence among Nigerian doctors but the limitations of the system in which they work.
According to him, stronger investment in healthcare facilities would improve the quality of services available locally and reduce the need for some patients to seek treatment abroad.
Arohunmolase also criticised Nigeria’s low public spending on health, putting the country’s budgetary allocation at an estimated two to three per cent and noting that it remained below the 15 per cent target associated with the Abuja Declaration.
The declaration, adopted by African Union countries in 2001, includes a commitment to allocate at least 15 per cent of annual national budgets to improving the health sector.
The NMA has repeatedly called for stronger investment in medical personnel, infrastructure and working conditions to improve healthcare delivery and retain skilled professionals.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
