Doctors Hit The Street Over Sack Of 16,000 Resident Doctors

The National Medical Association (NMA) has embarked on peaceful protests across the country over the sack of 16,000 Resident doctors by the Federal Government.

One of the protests, held at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), on Monday, was geared at making the Federal Government reverse its decision, the Lagos NMA chairman, Dr Tope Ojo said.

Also in Ondo State, medical doctors under the auspices of NMA, on Monday, protested the sack of 16,000 resident doctors by the Federal Government, demanding for the immediate recall of the doctors before they could return to negotiation table with government.

State chairman of the association, Dr Bamidele Betiku, said the decision of the Federal Government would make the country lack specialised doctors and make adequate healthcare delivery elusive to the masses.

Members of the NMA in Oyo State, also,  on Monday, also staged a peaceful protest on the suspension of resident doctors’ programme and sack of 16,000 doctors in the country, saying government’s action reflected traits of bad governance.

The doctors, carrying placards with various inscriptions marched to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, and Oyo State government secretariat.

Chairman of NMA in Oyo State, Dr Muideen Olatunji, said the government’s action was condemnable, as it reflected traits of bad governance, asking Nigerians to talk to the government “to do what is right,” saying the strike had continued to take its toll on Nigerians.

The doctors in Ondo State marched from their office along Igbatoro road to the governor’s office in Alagbaka, Akure, singing solidarity songs while the peaceful protest lasted.

Dr Betiku lamented that the country’s medical sector was bedeviled with many challenges ranging from poor funding and lack of commitment on the part of the policy makers in the country.

He, however, noted that the protesting doctors did not embark on the action only because of what they would get, but to ensure that the health system of the country was improved upon for the benefit of the people.

Reacting to the protest in Lagos, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor Akin Osibogun, represented by the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee, Professor Chris Bode, said they should go about their complaints peacefully.