The Imperative Of Medical Entrepreneurship In Addressing Physicians' Brain Drain And Health System Strengthening In Nigeria

Abstract

A motivated health workforce is central to strengthening health systems. Low and lower-middleincome countries face shortfall in health workers as a result of health workers’ brain drain despite a projected 40 million new health jobs by 2030 globally. We seek to assess the  role of medical entrepreneurship in addressing health workers’ brain drain as an alternative paradigm to strengthen the health system in  Nigeria. We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study with 300 Nigerian physicians electronically filling out questionnaires. The  data were then statistically analysed. Nearly half (49.3 percent) of the respondents are ≤ 35 years of age, and 23 percent are females.  Two-thirds intend to migrate, especially to middle eastern countries and the United Kingdom. The push factors are poor remuneration, a  worsening economy, reduced access to training and equipment, insecurity and poor infrastructure. Most (88.3 percent) intend to engage  in medical entrepreneurship, and 79.4 percent of the physicians agreed that engaging in medical entrepreneurship will prevent them from migrating. There is a need to support health workers in medical entrepreneurship to improve their income and reduce their  aspiration to migrate from Nigeria. This will also encourage diaspora health workers to return or invest in Nigeria through brain gain and  brain circulation and has made Nigeria a medical tourism hotspot with the consequent economic advantages.