SOFPON: Nigeria needs more family physicians to save lives

Concerned at the shortage of family physicians in the country, the Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria (SOFPON) and the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) have encouraged medical students to choose family medicine to boost the number of that specialty. According to the both groups, the lack of enough family physicians in the country needs urgent intervention of the federal and state governments in order to address the problem thereby saving more lives. Making the call in Lagos during the World Family Doctor Day, Dr. Akin Moses, president, Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria, urged medical students to “make a contribution in the health care services especially at the primary and secondary care levels by choosing family medicine.” The World Family Doctor Day, marked on May 19 was first declared by the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) in 2010.

It highlights the role and contribution of family doctors in health care systems around the world. The Family Physician is that specialist doctor that a patient must see first; that will solve the problem of the patient first; and only when it is required that he will ask that patient to go and see another specialist. Family Physician in Nigeria is what is called the GP in the United Kingdom (UK) who takes care of the National Health Service (NHS). On its part, family medicine is the corner stone of personal patientphysician relationship focusing on their integrated care and improving their quality of our lives. Although, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended doctor to patient ratio as one doctor to 600 patients, presently, the ratio is one doctor to 6,400 patients.

Out of the 65,000 registered doctors in the country, 40,000 physicians practice in the diaspora. While 16,000 are resident doctors, only a paltry 9000 doctors are remaining to attend to Nigeria’s estimated 170 million populace, said Dr. Adeyeye Arigbabuwo, chairman of AGPMPN in Lagos State. He lamented that finding family physicians in many secondary and tertiary centres in the country is not common because the number of this specialty that is available is still very small. Dr. AdedokunAyoade, vice chairman, SOFPON, Lagos Zone, said SOFPON moved the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria to start a diploma course in family medicine to enable its graduants handle family medicine cases.