Medical practice used to be an enviable practice in the country before now. But recent developments have made it unattractive to the practitioners. It’s no wonder why many doctors are leaving the shores of the country to practice abroad. Ondo is one of the states badly hit by this ugly trend.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state on Monday expressed concern over the worsening shortage of medical doctors in government-owned hospitals, attributing the development to the ongoing “Japa syndrome,” a wave of health workers migrating abroad.

The association’s Chairman in the state, Dr. Muyiwa Alonge, in a statement lamented that a significant number of doctors had left public health facilities in search of better working conditions overseas, leaving those remaining severely overstretched.

The NMA noted that the limited number of doctors still in service are now forced to handle workloads originally meant for multiple colleagues, a situation it said has led to burnout and reduced efficiency in healthcare delivery.

The association linked the continued exodus of medical personnel from government hospitals to poor welfare packages, unpaid allowances, and the absence of adequate incentives.

It urged both the state and federal governments to take urgent steps to address the situation, warning that failure to act could further weaken the health system.

“Because of the “Japa Syndrome”, too many doctors have left the system. Those of us remaining now do the work of five people. Doctors in the state service no longer have a life of their own,” the statement read.

It also noted that doctors in the state no longer have time for their families or professional development, as they are often confined to their workplaces, sometimes as the only physician in entire general hospitals.

“They have no time for their families and no time for further professional growth as they are confined to providing services sometimes permanently at their workplace in situations where there is only one doctor in a whole General Hospital.

“These doctors overwork. They are often made to use obsolete equipment to provide healthcare to the good people of Ondo state. In many instances, these equipment do not even exist and these doctors would have to improvise, to ensure healthcare is still provided.

“We work daily in environments that are dilapidated and do not befit our status as doctors, yet we are paid with an old salary structure that cannot cope with today’s cost of living. Our members are stressed, exhausted, demoralized, and overworked,” the statement said.

NMA said the situation is worsened by the government’s failure to implement key welfare policies, including the Consequential Adjustment of Salaries (Circular SWC/S/04/S.218/IV/876 of November 19, 2025) and the Accoutrement Allowance (Circular SWC/S/04/S.218/III/572 of July 26, 2025).

It described the welfare benefits as long overdue, revealing that federal health workers and those in several other states have been enjoying them for nearly a year.

The NMA further decried the non-payment of 2024 promotion allowances and the failure to recruit new doctors to replace those who have left, a development it said has compounded the pressure on the few remaining personnel.

The association added that doctors are now forced to work with obsolete or non-existent equipment in dilapidated facilities, often improvising to keep healthcare services running.

“These are not new requests. They are our entitlements. Our colleagues at the Federal level and in many other states have been enjoying these benefits for almost a year.

“In Ondo State, it’s unfortunate that we are also still owed our 2024 promotion allowance, and no new doctors or health workers have been employed to replace those who left,” it added.

Furthermore, the doctors said it had also made multiple attempts to engage the state government through letters and meetings since November 2025, including the submission of a position paper aimed at revitalising the healthcare sector, but said there has been no meaningful response.

The doctors have issued a four-point demand to the state government, including immediate implementation of salary adjustments with arrears, payment of accoutrement and promotion allowances, and urgent recruitment of healthcare workers.

The association also gave the government until April 28, 2026, to address the issues, warning that failure to act would lead to an emergency congress where members would decide on further actions, including a possible strike.

“We are giving the Government until Tuesday, 28th April 2026 to act. If nothing is done, the NMA will call an Emergency Congress to decide our next lawful steps. And that may include a withdrawal of services.

“Let me say this plainly to our people: we do not want to go on strike. When doctors strike, the people suffer. But the truth is that people are already suffering because the system has become very fragile and it is collapsing. We cannot keep quiet while our members break down (as it often happens) and our hospitals become empty,” the statement added.