From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

Following the dearth of Radiologists in the nation’s health sector, Consultant of Radiology/Sinology, St. Bridget’s x-ray (Radiodiagnotic) Centre, Benin, Dr. Sam Enukegwu, yesterday, urged Radiologists not to leave the country but to stay put and contribute meaningfully to the development of the health sector.

He made the call while launching books titled “St. Bridgets x-ray Radiological Cases Atlas with Clinical Direction and Aids to Medical Sinology Techniques, the St. Bridget’s x-ray Centre Experience, co-authored by other Radiologists in Benin City.

Dr. Enukegwu said Radiological experts are leaving the country due to poor pay and other environmental factors and that such have hampered the Nigerian health sectors just as he said that the books launched would do Nigerians a whole lot of good.

“Over the years, I have observed that we have a lot of cases that we need to document.

“The books that we read, are written by white people, most times for white diseases.

“So, we needed to document Nigerian cases in a book format so that people can read and learn from it.

“And it becomes more important now because we have a dearth of radiologists in Nigeria.

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“They are all going abroad because of the economy, because of the security problem and we need this kind of thing to encourage younger radiologists to remain so that they can work better with more images to guide them in their work”, he said.

Enukegwu said the other problems confronting the Radiologists in the country is the availability of logistics and which the government at all levels must join hands to tackle headlong in order to get the health sector out of the woods.

“The environment is very hostile for their work. We are not talking about the pay, they don’t have the equipment to work with in most government centres, they don’t have the logistics support to work with in most centres.

“So, they are handicap. And if you are a radiologist and you don’t have equipment to work with, there is nothing you can do. You must have light and you must have equipment”, he added.

While stating that it took him five years to write the 764 pages book, he further advised other Nigerians to stay in the country and contribute to the health sector just as he is doing.

“For radiologists in Nigeria, to my knowledge, this is the first radiology textbook authored in Nigeria.

“One is tired about advise to the government. What I will just advised is that, individuals should take up the boldness and decide to practice in Nigeria like some of us are doing”, he said.