🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
Nigerian medical experts call for support to address emergency medicine personnel shortage
via Punch Nigeria4 min read
Medical specialists at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, have expressed concerns about the scarcity of skilled emergency medicine personnel in Nigeria. They are urging governments and development partners to support specialist training to enhance emergency healthcare delivery. Dr. Dalhat Ibrahim, Head of the Department of Emergency Medicine at ATBUTH, highlighted that the shortage of trained professionals, exacerbated by healthcare worker migration and limited accredited training centers, significantly impacts the quality of emergency healthcare services. Emergency medicine is a relatively new specialty, with ATBUTH being the only center in the North-East offering such training. Dr. Ibrahim emphasized the need for more skilled personnel to improve patient care, reduce mortality, and enhance outcomes. He also noted that inadequate manpower leads to increased pressure on healthcare workers, contributing to workplace stress and potential misunderstandings with patients' relatives. The experts also raised concerns about rising incidents of violence against healthcare workers, describing it as a global challenge. Dr. Ibrahim appealed to the Federal Government, state governments, and donor agencies to sponsor healthcare workers for specialist training, citing the high cost as a barrier for many professionals. Dr. Safiya Tanko, a registrar in the Department of Emergency Medicine, attributed many disputes in emergency units to a lack of public understanding
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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