Crisis in Nigerian Public Hospitals: Long Waits and Shortages

The crisis in Nigeria's public hospitals has worsened, with patients in major cities like Abuja and Kano spending an average of five to seven hours waiting to see a doctor. This situation is exacerbated by a significant shortage of medical personnel, with at least 18,627 doctors leaving Nigeria between 2015 and 2024, according to the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors.

The current doctor-to-population ratio stands at 3.9 per 10,000 people, far below the World Health Organization's minimum benchmark of 10 per 10,000. Patients often lose entire workdays due to these long waits, particularly affecting those in rural and semi-urban areas.

The Federal Ministry of Health is aware of the issue and is designing policies to manage the migration of healthcare workers. Despite the challenges, patients acknowledge the efforts of medical staff, who are often overwhelmed, with some doctors attending to 25 to 30 patients daily.