This action came in the heat of the hoopla the few cases of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has caused.
A Federal Government circular on August 13 said the action was taken to address the challenges in the Health sector.
Since July 1, over 16,000 resident doctors had been on strike. They turned down all entreaties from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and other stakeholders to cooperate with the government in the fight against the Ebola virus.
An internal circular by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health, L. N. Awute, said the suspension was with immediate effect.
In a press release by the Deputy Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Health, Alhaji Isiaka Yusuf, the Federal Government said it had to do so after exploring all avenues to end the strike, which it said had compounded the health crisis in the country.
It would be recalled that the Nigeria Medical Association had directed its members natiuonwide to go on strike on July 1. The National Association of Resident Doctors, an affiliate of the NMA, has put its numerical strentgh at about 16,000.
“The situation has been compounded by the recent importation of the Ebola Virus Disease into Nigeria on July 20, 2014. Following the Presidential declaration of a National Public Health Emergency on Ebola Disease, which has united the entire country in the efforts to contain the disease, it is quite regrettable that the people who should take leadership role in the fight against the Ebola disease are now the most unsupportive,’” the statement said.
The resident doctors were unceremoniously relieved of their jobs after the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Wednesday, issued a directive terminating the residency training programme for doctors in the country until further notice.
A statement by the Deputy Director, Press, Ministry of Health, Isiaka Yusuf, said the resident doctors had been frustrating the government’s move to contain the Ebola virus.
The statement said NMA made good its threat of June 11, by calling out its members for a strike, despite government’s intervention meetings and dialogue.
The government said it had extensive deliberations with the leadership of the NMA, where agreements were reached on the 24 demands and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties.
It said in the midst of the strike, the government also sought the attention and intervention of some eminent personalities to prevail on the NMA leadership to respect the ethics of their profession and end the strike while the dialogue continued.
Now they are free to travel to those countries where they have better condition of service. Heartless professionals when their country men are dying.
ReplyDeletethanks mr president for your action . That serve them right , I don't Know exactly what is really there problem after huge amount of money there taking home every months . That will give room for fresh blood that ready to serve their father lands . Let those old cargo doctor return to there respective private hospital there all useless human being . Good luck 2015 is sure
ReplyDeleteGod save Mr President. Pls GEJ dont reverse it. They are useless set of pple. 2015 for Sure.
ReplyDeleteSo what next? Should we continue with salt soltuion or nano silver?
ReplyDeleteGood decision.
ReplyDeleteGood one Mr. President. Keep it up. The doctors are inhumane. Let them go to blazes and burn to ashes.
ReplyDeleteThey should go to hell, the health sector would be better without thier so call witchcraft experience, 200 gbosa! To GEJ.
ReplyDeletesenceless Doctrs. They think they re only the learned people in nigeria. Despite d huge salarry they re colecting just for trial and error service they offer nigerians. Devil wil punish them, useless doctrs wey no sabi book.
ReplyDeleteGood one Mr. presido
ReplyDeleteWahala don come ooh,,, any one way no see private class now go turn to road side doctor,, like road side mechanics
ReplyDeleteAny weapon fashioned against GEJ will not prosper in Jesus name. Infact GEJ was too slow for my liking in taken this action. It was long overdue. Let Federal Govt declare fresh vacancy for immediate replacement of those occultic ingrates. We will get more than enough serious applicants from all over the world.
ReplyDeleteThank U , Mr President for u action b/cos they did dat believe nothing will happen. Pls donot stop here continue to sanction any individual or group trying to nbring down ur administration and show them the way out. Let the Doctors return to their own Clinics and manage it well rather than referring patients to buy drugs and do tests in their private Hospital rather than Govt. Hospitals. Enough is Enough for Miscreants taking this administration for granted to enrich themselves and impoverish the masses.
ReplyDeleteGreat decision by Mr president.This is one of the finest decision by Mr President and should never be reversed. Government should quickly put machinery in place to recruit and replace these old Y2k non compliant resident doctors who want to hold Nigerians to ransom. Just imagine even the highly reputable Indian doctors don't do shakara the way these so called Nigerian doctors does. After all,is it not in Nigeria that I heard that even a medical doctor also took the salt water bath which people believe is an antidote to the Ebola virus.This is to tell you the sort and calibre of some of these so called doctors. But why should medical doctors be so insensitive? Why must they allow innocent Nigerians to be suffering and dying because of the selfishness of these doctors.Now we know why people rush to Indian hospital. Is it not when these doctors who are now full time labour activists and politicians finish attending nocturnal meetings that they will have time to learn about latest innovation and technology. The point is that most high calibre tech equipment in our hospitals are under utilized in most of our hospitals cos most of these doctors cannot use them.Yet,government give them large sums in allocations for training and manpower development. They just share the money and some plough it back into their personal private hospitals. It is time government call their bluff.They cannot be receiving money and salaries from tax payers money for services not rendered.It is immoral to say the least. This country cannot continue like this. This is great decision and government has taken the bull by the horn. Government should stick to this and not bow to any sort of pressure. In fact,they should advertise the position widely so that the best hands from different parts of world should be employed to take over the positions.Thank God most of these doctors have their various personal hospitals and business so that they will now go there instead of receiving salaries for services not delivered in the public hospitals. If they are so marketable let them go to US or Britain and elsewhere where they can practice if they pass the preliminary qualifying exams there.Enough is enough.
ReplyDeleteAll, lets look at this critically: My questions are: what were their demands before they went on strike? What is the alternative option to Resident Doctor's mass sack? Do we have enough Consultants to service the health sector in this country? Many of us responding here can give kudos to FG for this action probably cos we can afford those private clinics....what of the numerous Nigerians that these doctors attends to in the absence of the always absent Consultants.
ReplyDeleteI believe, the FG should reconsider her decision as many Nigerinas may be affected by this rash decision.....God Help Nigeria!!!
Right decision!
ReplyDeleteI am not a doctor, but i feel this insensitivity is from the part of the F.G, the FG have all of a sudden trusted our doctors to do magic with Ebola around, hmmm!!! Let me ask both Mr. President and the minister of Health, which of these doctors has ever treated you or your close relatives? If you so much believed in their ability, why does most government officials, if not all, travel out for treatment? For me it is the FG that is trying to bully these doctors because of the advent of Ebola. It is said that everything raises and falls on leadership. Now that you have sacked 16,000 doctors, note also you have sent over 45,000 people into panic of nothing to feed on. However you doctors even you the sake of those dyeing please help.
ReplyDeletethanks 4 d comment (anonymous hu askd 4 d rethink of d situatn by d gov). I will like to make a point,wat were ur reactions wen ASUU went on strike, u were all in support of ASUU n were all urging d fed govt 2 attend 2 dere needs. B4 dis strike commenced, dere was a contract sign by both parties (gov n NMA) which shud remain. In any situatn of breach of contract, dere is always d right party nd d wrong party. Well, d gov has sacked 16,000 doctors nationwide and dey tink dat is d best decision, r u guys now telling me dat d student doctors working as housemanship will come and take over d work nd activities of 16,000 doctors with no working experience on a life human than a dead body and animals which dey use 4 practicals back in skul and some of these doctors are not just ordinary doctors but consultants and d likes who have spent two third of there lives treating patient hu are ill and even in worst circumstances prevent death in some cases n also hu av become specialist in one particular aspect or anoda. U guys shud think abt dere impact on Nigerians bcos dey av really tried and a breach of contract on d part of d gov shud nt result in mass retrenchment of doctors. Now, I want you to consider ursef as a son or daughter whose father or mother is a nurse with the present outbreak of the ebola virus in Nigeria, wud u want ur dad or mum 2 go 2 work where there is d outbreak of the virus and gets infected with the disease? The gov shud reverse its decision bcod if dey don't, a lot worse than Ebola is still going to happen in which d services of d doctors will den b noticed.
ReplyDeleteA critical review shud b made as regards d gov decision on this issue
ReplyDeleteI Love my president. Good luck Jonathan. You took the right decision. Please don't reverse it. Whoever that is not ready to serve his country ever when in crisis should go home and sleep. The doctors are meant to save lives, not to fold hands when people are dying. There are young graduates out there that are ready to experiment and show there God given skills and talent. Give them a chance. Up Mr President for 2015
ReplyDeleteGood, for them they think only their service is very important, and if you think so let police OE Army go on strike for jus one hrs and you yourself we see what will happened, still they are not better paid than you, are you people God? Thank you Mr President.
ReplyDeleteIts painful that all of you that applauds mr president for his actions are ignorant of the decay in the health sector. If its easy to get highly qualified and experienced professionals, we would see with time. The same way the government treated the educational sector that resulted in long time strike, while the people in authority jumped from aircraft to another sending their children abroad to study.
ReplyDeletePls, let us think deeply and ponder at these doctor's demand before we condemn and crucify them. Cutting of head is never a solution to headache. Wisdom is required here!
Well, I feel for the doctors. But why would they prove to be this arrogant and obstinate to resuming work even when FG entreated them, met some of their demands and urged them to go back to work while negotiation continues? This is total insubbordination and insensitivity! Why would one contrast ASUU strike to this one? Did you forget that medical profession is so a noble job that it cannot afford to behave as Teachers/Lecturers do? ASUU can afford to go on strike for years yet it's no threat to human lives unlike doctors/healthworkers. Even when the immediate former President of NMA begged and called off this strike yet to no avail hence the man resigned. And doctors blatantly refused to go back to work! Guys wetin be una problem na. Na wa for una o!!!
ReplyDeleteAny person that said mr president did wrong here is a full. They are useless set of pple.
ReplyDeleteds comments are irrational,if u dont realise whats going on in the health sector,plz rather dont comment cos i can assure you that we are all selfish in Nigeria. Medicine needs professionalism not just heresay. Let government find a lasting solution to the issue at hand.
ReplyDeleteyou supporters of this stupid decision made by the president concerning the sacking of 16,000 doctors. you guys are clueless about what is happening in the health sector, all you care about is president jonathan ambition in 2015. who are those people that we replace resident doctors? who will teach the upcoming doctors. Nigerians please let us think and leave politics alone. If jonathan should have head ache , he will run out of the country for medical check up and heis sacking the doctors for the masses. na wao.
ReplyDeleteThis forum's for matured minds not kindergartens
ReplyDeletethose of you applauding this myopic guy will one day rue ever supporting him. The day you or your family member needs the doctors attention and nobody is there for you; even the Mr Badluck is the day you know who is closer to you between the government and the doctors.
ReplyDeleteyes we need doctors but they are not there! will this "myopic guy" continue to pay dem with our tax payers? reason am
Deletedoctors who can not dicted malaria in prenant woman
ReplyDeleteThose that are rejoicing over this irrational sack; think fast.
ReplyDeleteAsk yourself these common questions: "After sacking of ASUU members by same FG, were they relieved of their duties after all?
FG ought to act more honourably in times of crisis to demonstrate maturity, pls.