Human Capital Flight (Brain Drain) and Service Delivery in Public Hospitals in Nigeria: Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) in Perspective

Over a decade, there has been an unprecedented mass exodus of healthcare professionals in Nigeria’s public hospitals. This has put the healthcare sector in crisis. This paper, therefore, examined the effects of human capital flight on services rendered in public health institutions in Nigeria, using the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu as a study base. The study population is 621 healthcare workers (HCWs) from the four departments selected (medical practitioners/doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, and pharmacists) in the hospital. The sample size is 243 based on Taro Yamane’s formula at ( p < .05) maximum variability level. The theoretical framework used for the analysis of this study is the push-pull theory. Findings show that human capital flight has a significant and devastating negative effect on services rendered in the hospital. The paper recommends the upgrade of public hospitals with modern healthcare facilities; and improving conditions of service and welfare of healthcare workers, if the departure is to be halted.