NMA rejects sack of 16,000 doctors

Nigerian Medical Association has demanded that federal government withdraw its suspension of a government-funded training programme for resident doctors. The suspension, issued Thursday, amounts to a sack of some 16,000 doctors, most of whom have been on strike since July 1, criticised for coming at a time Nigeria battled casualties from insurgent attacks and the […]

Nigerian Medical Association has demanded that federal government withdraw its suspension of a government-funded training programme for resident doctors.

The suspension, issued Thursday, amounts to a sack of some 16,000 doctors, most of whom have been on strike since July 1, criticised for coming at a time Nigeria battled casualties from insurgent attacks and the panic of Ebola virus disease.

NMA demanded “unconditional reinstatement” of the sacked doctors and government commitment to resolve its impasse with doctors rather resorting to punitive measures it said would only “further aggravate the already deplorable situation.”

“Rather than abolishing residency training programme, government should show more commitment towards improving the already poorly funded programme,” said NMA president Dr Kayode Obembe at a briefing on Friday.

“Government should improve the nation’s health facilities with a view to discouraging medical tourism abroad.”

The association directed its members not to accept any sack letter or sign any register opened in any hospital in the wake of the suspended residency training.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no medical doctor no matter how hungry, should pick up any locum appointment with the government hospitals as directed by the circular,” the association told its members.

“Any doctor who flouts this directive, does so at his/her own peril.”

But the association insisted doctors would remain committed toward containing Ebola outbreak, insisting its members have been active in dealing with the fallout of bomb blasts and the virus despite their official strike since July 1.

 

Insensitive

In the wake of negotiations which failed to break the strike, federal government called it “one of the most insensitive steps to be taken” by any association or labour union in Nigeria’s history and faulted NMA for frustrating its efforts to contain Ebola.

The doctors’ association cites Nigeria’s 170m population has less than 3,000 specialist doctors, noting that “government insensitivity” has driven some 25,000 specialists to the US and 4,000 to the UK, where Nigerian public officials enjoy medical services on taxpayer money.

The Commonwealth Medical Association called government’s move draconian, citing the famous failed attempt by Lagos Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2012 to dismiss 774 doctors in state employ.

“I am most appalled by the use of an extreme, unwarranted and retrogressive measure by the present federal government, especially at this time of public health emergency when members of the Nigerian Medical Association across the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory are visibly in the field contributing their quota towards the containment of the Ebola virus disease outbreak, irrespective of the non-provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and a miserable hazard allowance of N5, 000:00k per month,” said Dr Osahon Enabulele, vice president of CMA and immediate former president of NMA.

“The deficit in health human resource caused by the intense brain drain that followed the reckless proscription of NMA and NARD by the General Muhammadu Buhari regime in 1985 is yet to be surmounted.

“This action of government will certainly worsen the brain drain phenomenon, widen the gap in health human resource and further weaken Nigeria’s fragile health system.

“There is still room for constructive dialogue and amicable resolution of the current dispute between the Federal Government and Nigerian doctors. I therefore sincerely and passionately call on the President to draw back on his extreme action and initiate a more amicable and statesmanly resolution of the disputes and challenges in the Health sector. It should not be in his time that Nigeria witnessed a free fall in her health indices.”