Over 65% of physiotherapists in Nigeria leave the country after completing their professional training, primarily due to poor welfare and working conditions.
This alarming trend was revealed by the President of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy, Felix Odusoya, who highlighted the dire shortage of physiotherapists in the country.
This statement was made during the 65th-anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy.
Nigeria currently has a ratio of one physiotherapist for every 80,000 patients, far below the World Health Organization’s recommended ratio of one to 10,000.
Odusoya’s concerns were echoed by Professor Emeka Igwe, Vice Chancellor of Coal City University, Enugu, and Abdulrahman Dambazzau, a former Minister of Internal Affairs, who both stressed the urgent need to improve conditions for healthcare professionals in Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Raji Mammood, noted that the federal government is making efforts to address the challenges faced by healthcare providers.
The embodiment of Physiotherapists in Nigeria, is a member of the World confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) and a leading member of the WCPT Africa Region (WCPTA).
The NSP shares in the principles of the WCPT that every individual is entitled to the highest possible standard of culturally appropriate health care provided in an atmosphere of trust and respect for human dignity and determined by sound clinical reasoning and scientific evidence.
