The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kwara State Chapter, has raised concerns over low salaries, excessive workloads and alleged unauthorised salary deductions affecting doctors in the state, warning that manpower shortages in some hospitals are forcing medical professionals to work long hours.
The association’s chairman, Dr Suleiman Rotimi, raised the concerns on Monday in Ilorin during a news conference marking the 2026 Physicians’ Week. He appealed to the Kwara State Government to urgently address doctors’ welfare, poor remuneration and staffing shortages, warning that the conditions could affect healthcare delivery.
The theme of the week is “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria.”
Speaking at the conference, Rotimi said some general hospitals in the state had only a few doctors, leaving them with excessive workloads and increasing their risk of burnout.
“The doctors are underpaid, overworked and over-deducted,” he said.
He added that some doctors had between ₦30,000 and ₦50,000 deducted from their monthly salaries despite unpaid allowances and poor remuneration.
Rotimi also expressed concern over Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio, which he said was about one doctor to more than 9,000 patients, with the situation worse in some parts of Kwara.
He cited a ratio of one doctor to 600 patients as a benchmark, although the World Health Organisation does not prescribe a universal doctor-to-patient ratio.
On the ongoing industrial dispute involving doctors in Kwara, Rotimi said the association had engaged the state government and other stakeholders but remained open to dialogue.
“When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. The patients are the ones suffering from this,” he said.
He also called for improved mental health support, confidential medical services, safer workplaces and protection against violence, stressing that doctors should be able to seek help without fear of stigma.
Rotimi further encouraged doctors to explore telemedicine, artificial intelligence and robotics, noting that the technologies could complement the work of medical professionals.
He said technology could help specialists reach underserved communities while maintaining clinical oversight.
The NMA chairman also urged the government to improve doctors’ salaries, working conditions, training, research opportunities and healthcare infrastructure to reduce the migration of Nigerian doctors abroad.
He called for collective action to build a healthcare system where doctors work in safe and dignified conditions and patients receive quality care.
