NARD replies Pastor Poju Oyemade over claim of doctors getting trained on N500,000 throughout their program

ChatGPT said:The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has issued a strong rebuttal to recent comments made by Pastor Poju Oyemade, accusing the cleric of misrepresenting the realities surrounding medical education and healthcare in Nigeria. In a public statement addressed directly to Oyemade, NARD challenged his claim that medical doctors in Nigeria are trained on as little as N500,000. Citing a peer-reviewed study by Osoba et al. (2021), published in the Pan African Medical Journal, the association stated that the actual cost of training a doctor in Nigeria ranges between $21,000 and $51,000. This figure includes tuition, living expenses, and other related costs. NARD emphasized that despite this significant investment, the average Nigerian doctor earns about N250,000 monthly, roughly $170, an amount that stands in stark contrast to their counterparts in the United States, where training costs around $275,000, but monthly salaries average $16,000 (24 million). The association also pointed out that for Nigerian doctors who wish to qualify and practice in the U.S., the cost of the process often exceeds $10,000, usually borne by their families. NARD rejected any implication that Nigerian doctors are ungrateful, stating that they remain among the most hardworking and resilient professionals globally. While acknowledging the country's healthcare crisis, the group noted that the majority of Nigerians are unable to afford medical tourism and depend on a broken system for survival. "It is easy for Pastors with access to tithes and offerings to seek care abroad, but their average Nigerian church member cannot," the statement read.  The association urged Oyemade to use his influence to advocate for systemic healthcare reforms instead of undermining the plight of healthcare workers. The message concluded with a pointed reference to the biblical model of leadership, suggesting that spiritual leaders should focus on prayer, fasting, and the Word, rather than weighing in on matters they may not fully understand. The post NARD replies Pastor Poju Oyemade over claim of doctors getting trained on N500,000 throughout their program appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.