by David Cyril

Medical doctors staged a rally Monday, 18 August, at Lagos University Teaching hospital, (LUTH), Idi Araba to protest the recent sacking of 16,000 of their members by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The rally, which was largely peaceful, was led by Dr. Tope Ojo, Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association.

The hundreds of Medical doctors who trooped out for the protest march claimed that as opposed to general belief that they are fighting for pay increment, they are actually after better structures and equipment in hospitals across the country.

The doctors appealed to the Federal government to call back the 16,000 and improve the health care sector, while also demanding that the Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu should be fired.

Dr. Babajide Saheed, Secretary, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), warned that the sacking of resident doctors would increase mortality and morbidity rates and worsen health indices in the country.

 

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Photography by Hycienth Iyerosa

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Health Minister reacts

Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, while reacting to the sack of 16,000 Doctors, at a press conference in Lagos on 18 August, said there had been problems with the training which formed part of the reason the doctors went on strike at the unset.

“The suspension is with all Federal Government hospitals; State Teaching Hospitals are not affected,” he said.

Speaking further, Chukwu said the government suspended the training to allow for critical investigation and come up with better ways to improve the training.

“We just felt that we needed the space, to take a look and make it better so that we can get the best from the programme. It is not a permanent thing; it is just to allow us to appraise. But of course if you close a programme in a university, you cannot keep the students idle. They either go for another course meanwhile or they wait indefinitely. After that, we will restart the programme,” he added.

“We keep forgetting that no doctor has been stopped from working. Some of them may want to volunteer for this Ebola response. If any of them volunteers I would recommend them to the President. That is my job as the Minister of Health.”