Doctors too can be unemployed - Dr. Egbe Osifo-Dawodu

Dr. Egbe Osifo-Dawodu, founding partner at Anadach Group has told HealthNewsNG.com doctors and other health professionals can also be jobless. 

She decried the current challenge that graduating medical professionals are facing when they are looking for internship positions.

"Actually healthcare professionals can be jobless. Increasingly, getting an internship for graduating medical students so they can become licensed physicians is becoming a challenge. Several graduates have to wait over a year to get an internship spot as there are fewer internship spaces than medical doctors," she told HealthNewsNG.

While new professionals are graduating all year round, she said the increase in the number of health professionals is not matched with increase in available positions.

"The number of hospitals that offer positions has not increased as fast as the increase in medical graduates.  This is also true for other health professional who require internship e.g. medical laboratory scientists - there a couple of self-ads from graduates looking for internship," she said.

"For doctors who are interested in specializing in the country, this is also a challenge. Many of the doctors who pass their primary qualifications cannot get into teaching hospital residency programs (which are limited by the accrediting body)."

She added that the preference for jobs in the urban areas is another reason why many health professionals are jobless. 

"Also most healthcare professionals want to work in urban areas -- so while there may be jobs available in rural areas and less urbanized parts of the country, most graduates are interested in working in the big cities," she told HealthNewsNG.com.

She however noted that some health professionals are in high demand and may not be faced with joblessness.

She said: "Some healthcare professionals like radiographers are in great demand, and there are probably fewer than required."