“As a practicing pharmacist who enjoys interacting with and
counseling clients, I became bored after spending a month at home. I needed a
way to stay engaged and continue practising when my baby, Rejoice, was asleep
or when there was less to do,” she said.
Also, Akin Ahmed, a 43-year-old doctor running a large
hospital in Ibadan, shared his own staffing woes. “Finding doctors, including
dentists, gynecologists, physiotherapists, and general practitioners, willing
to commit long-term to my hospital is not only expensive but nearly
impossible,” he lamented. “I have reached out to Nelson, my medical school
roommate currently practicing in Lagos, but the distance, whether by air or
road, takes a toll on him. It’s becoming increasingly challenging to explain
this situation to my patients.”
Staffing woes in the Nigerian healthcare sector have become
a shared concern among employers and employees alike. The sector grapples with
a shortage of skilled professionals, coordination issues, and salary and
welfare challenges, which have prompted many healthcare practitioners to seek
opportunities abroad, leaving gaps in the local workforce.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) reported that despite
the annual graduation of approximately 3,000 to 3,500 doctors from medical
colleges, a substantial portion of them remains unemployed. In recent years,
doctors and nurses have faced an underemployment rate of around 65 percent,
worsening the staffing crisis.
In response to these challenges, ProLocums, a healthcare
staffing platform, has launched a healthtech product aimed at revolutionizing
healthcare staffing in Nigeria. The platform seeks to connect healthcare
professionals with locum opportunities that align with their expertise and
availability, offering them flexibility and career advancement. The service
extends beyond immediate communities, enabling practitioners to work in areas
with the greatest need.
Feyi Adeyemi, a healthcare practitioner and the CEO of
ProLocums, shared his enthusiasm about the platform’s potential impact: “We are
excited to introduce ProLocums to the Nigerian healthcare community. Our
platform is designed to empower healthcare professionals by providing them with
convenient and efficient access to locum opportunities that align with their
expertise and schedules.”
The key features of the ProLocums platform include
intelligent matchmaking, a seamless user interface, calendar management for
scheduling flexibility, reliability, and transparent communication between
healthcare professionals and facilities.
During the platform’s launch event, a panel discussion
featured Bunmi Olugbeja, founder and MD of Primeah (Pharmacy) Nigeria Ltd,
alongside Feyi Adeyemi. Olugbeja highlighted the platform’s potential to
improve access to healthcare talent in underserved areas, reduce costs, and
increase flexibility in employment. She also stressed the benefits of
technology in connecting professionals and employers.
“As a multi-store owner, I don’t need to search for a
full-time pharmacist because I can access a larger talent pool of talents and
allocate time to them. It will help with flexibility of employment and reduce
the cost of hiring full-time staff.”
Adeyemi, further emphasised the transformative impact of
technology on healthcare employment, stating, “Tech blurs the line between job
employees and employers in the Nigerian healthcare sector. ProLocums then opens
you up to jobs in locations you’ve not been before. It brings ease of connectivity
and productivity. Also, health talent employers can negotiate the price rate of
doctors or talents, give feedback and reviews of their employees.”