2,000 Physiotherapists Have Left Nigeria – Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy

The Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy has decried the physiotherapists-to-patient gap, as 2,000 physiotherapists have left Nigeria to practice in other countries.

The president of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy, Oyinlola Odusanya, stated this on Thursday at the 65th Anniversary and Gala Night of the NSP in Abuja.

Odunsanya blamed the mass exit of physiotherapists on poor working conditions for health professionals in the country.

He explained that the 2,000 physiotherapists exit represent over 65 percent of the total physiotherapists in the country.

Odunsanya noted that currently, Nigeria has only 4,000 physiotherapists left to manage a population of 200 million citizens.

“Over 65 percent of physiotherapists produced in Nigeria practice abroad. In the last three years, over 2,000 physiotherapists left the shore of our country, with less than 4,000 physiotherapists left in the country to manage over 200 million population.

“This development weakened us as a group and in terms of training and reduced the number of experienced physiotherapists to serve our various establishments,” he said.

He appealed to the government to improve the condition of health workers, particularly, physiotherapists to reduce the migration. He stated that welfare and good working conditions would retain Nigeria’s best brains in the health sector.

Speaking at the Gala Night, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, said the government was committed to funding the health sector while creating a conducive workspace for health workers.

He thanked the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy for its services to the citizens and the nation, adding that the federal government would continue to support its works.