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Tag: doctors

  • With five medical staff death, Doctors raise alarm, plead with Buhari over Lassa fever

    Resident doctors in Nigeria have called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on Lassa fever.

    The group, under the aegis of Association for Resident Doctors, made the call in Abuja on Saturday as the country is currently battling the scourge of Lassa fever.

    It has become a yearly occurrence for Nigeria to lose health care workers to the disease, the doctors said, adding that they had already lost some of their members in this year’s outbreak.

    As at January 26, a total of 689 suspected cases with 258 confirmed cases were reported, with 41 deaths.

    Five health workers were among the 41 deaths recorded.

    As the first responders to Lassa fever patients, health workers are susceptible to getting infected with the disease, the doctors said.

    “Due to these reasons, the association has deemed it fit to call on the government to get serious on finding a lasting solution to combating the disease,” they added.

    Speaking at the end of the annual conference of its National Executive Council, the president of the association, Aliyu Sokomba, said the decision to declare a national emergency on the disease will boost preparedness of health institutions in the country.

    “NARD calls on the Federal Government to declare a national emergency on Lassa Fever and also to evaluate hazard allowance paid to health workers considering the increased risk faced by health workers.

    “Declaring an emergency is owing to the poor preparedness in response of our health institution in handling cases of Lassa fever.

    “You will agree with me that it is only when the index case must have come with contact with a lot of individuals, especially health care providers that they are identified, at a much later stage.

    “If we have a state of emergency to improve the preparedness of our health institutions as well as their response in addressing the case of Lassa, it will contain cases of the disease in Nigeria,” he said.

    Mr Aliyu said the welfare of health workers should be a priority to government at all levels due to risks faced in the cause of doing their jobs.

    “NARD call on the federal government to make the issue of security of health care workers a priority both in and outside the hospitals.

    “NEC seems to state clearly that whenever a member is assaulted, the association shall call on their members to suspend work until adequate safety is guaranteed in such institutions and the assailant is brought to book fully,” Mr Aliyu said.

    As part of the resolution reached at NEC meeting, the association seeks the implementation of the National Health Act, 2014.

    He also urged the government to ensure speedy payments of arrears off minimum wage and salary adjustments.

  • Doctors protest over stripping of female colleague by patient’s family in Abuja

    Doctors protest over stripping of female colleague by patient’s family in Abuja

    Some doctors in Abuja on Thursday protested the stripping of their female colleague by relatives of a patient who later died at Maitama General Hospital.

     

    While embarking on their rally, the doctors held placards “We Care for You Why Beat Us’’, “Better Securities in our Hospitals’’, “Say No to Violence Against Health Workers” and “Doctors and Health Workers deserve Better’’ among others.

    NAN gathered that the physicians marched to the office of Ramatu Aliyu, minister of state for FCT, where they complained about the rising incidence of violence against their members.

    Addressing the protesters, the minister said measures were being put in place to would end all forms of assault against doctors.

    “I appeal that you call off the strike and just give us the benefit of the doubt and see what will be done in the shortest time,” Aliyu said.

    “I will come personally and talk to all hospitals in the FCT to know whatever challenges you are facing there. We appreciate your patience and understanding that you didn’t take laws into your hands and we assure you that the issue is receiving attention.

    “Your demand is taken seriously and given the utmost attention. Violence is not acceptable whether on male or female at the FCT or anywhere else in the country.”

    Last week, Roland Aigbovo, president of FCT Association of Resident Doctors, narrated how relatives of a patient stripped a female doctor naked.

    “It has been estimated that recently, no fewer than six health workers, especially doctors and nurses, have been assaulted by patient’s relatives in FCT hospitals,” he had said.

    “The recent victim being a female doctor who was stripped naked by relatives of a patient, who died three days ago.”

    He further elucidated that the attack was based on purported mismanagement of the patient, who was said to have died from a chronic medical condition.

    “The perpetrators of this act had earlier threatened to kill the doctor for refusing to transfuse the patient with blood for which the doctor explained that it was not necessary,” he had said.

    “The doctor had also explained to the relatives that blood transfusion could complicate the patient’s condition.”

    He revealed that the perpetrators of the act were currently in detention at the Maitama Police Station, Abuja, and would be charged to court.

     

  • Nigeria left with just 42,000 qualified doctors to care for 200 million population – NMA

    Only 42,000 doctors out of the 75,000 registered by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) are available for Nigeria’s 200 million people, the association’s President Francis Faduyile has shockingly revealed.

    The 33,000 missing, he said, have left for greener pastures, adding that Nigeria has one of the worst health indices in the world.

    Faduyile in an interview with ThisDay attributed the emigration of Nigerian doctors to high rate of insecurity, poor job satisfaction, low remuneration, unemployment, bad roads, and poor healthcare system.

    Faduyile painted a grim picture of the collapsed health care system: “In rural areas, we have one doctor to 22,000 people, while in towns and cities, we have one doctor to 10,000 Nigerians or one doctor to 12,000 Nigerians, whereas the World Health Organisation (WHO) said for any country to have a balanced ratio, it must have one doctor to 600 persons.

    “Nigerian doctors and other healthcare workers, including nurses and pharmacists, are leaving the country in droves because of the poor healthcare system and lack of job satisfaction.

    “The United Kingdom employs, on the average, 12 Nigerian doctors every week. If Nigeria decides to graduate 3,000 doctors every year, without the doctors leaving this country, it will take us 25 years to meet the WHO estimate of one doctor to 600 persons,” he said.

    The NMA president said: “Nigeria is losing some of its most educated, talented and professional healthcare practitioners to countries such as Namibia, Senegal, Ghana, UK, South Africa and many others.

    “This is because the government is not interested in giving adequate priority to health, low funding, no appropriate employment, low remuneration, lack of equipment to intervene and save lives, insecurity, bad roads, among other problems.

    “Now, it is taking a toll on the country as our people are suffering due to the shortage of workers, people are dying due to lack of effective healthcare system and Nigeria has one of the worst health indices in the world,” he said.

  • Consider your patients before embarking on strike, Obasanjo tells doctors

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on medical practitioners in the country to take into consideration their patients’ plight before embarking on strike.

    Obasanjo made the appeal at the opening ceremony of the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMD) National Executive Council meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Friday, said Obasanjo, who was the Father of the Day at the occasion, urged the practitioners to take patients’ condition more paramount in their quest for better welfare.

    “A major issue that I always want to talk about whenever I am in your midst, which I told you when you came visiting is the issue of going on strike anytime you want to show your displeasure particularly, government doctors.

    “My position is that since the care for your patient is a major ethical issue of your profession, abandoning them to go on strike is even more unethical.

    “You should rather fashion another way to show your displeasure and not doing so at the expense of your patients,” Obasanjo said.

    The former president also called for the resuscitation of the old central medical store system in order to boost availability of drugs in the country.

    “We used to have something like that in the past during the Western region. I don’t know whether we still have it.

    ” If we don’t, maybe this is time to return to it or have something near it, which will bring efficiency and affordability to our drug chain system,”he said.

    The Secretary to the Ogun Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, who represented Gov. Dapo Abiodun, corroborated Obasanjo as he called for caution on industrial actions.

    “I want you to look into what Baba Obasanjo has said on this issue of strike. You can get alternative for taxi drivers if they decide to go on strike, yes, we have Okada drivers, but, this is not so for you.

    “God made you so special to save lives and you should live up to the expectation. We can’t devise other ways to save these lives, it is very important,” Talabi said.

    The Ogun Chairman of NAGGMD, Dr Olufemi Odusote, in his address of welcome, said the theme for the 2019 NEC meeting, “The Importance of Supply Chain Management in Health Care System Straightening,” was very important in the face of health challenges.

    These challenges, according to him , included manpower, brain drain and general welfare of members and security challenges had made doctors vulnerable.

    He, however, expressed optimism that with all hands on deck, the nation would definitely get solutions to the challenges confronting the body.

  • Ogun doctors embark on indefinite strike

    Ogun doctors embark on indefinite strike

    Due to the ”enormous persistent decline in workforce”, members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) have embarked on an indefinite strike.

    Osikoya Oludotun and Ajose Oluwafemi, the chairman and secretary of the association signed this resolution following their meeting on Monday 2nd of September, 2019.

    The medical practitioners aired their distress on the reduction in workforce which has taken a toll on the health of few doctors. The decreasing number of doctors has led to loss of accreditation for comprehensive training of resident doctors.

    They revealed that they were aware of the last administration’s stance on the management of OOUTH not to exceed a certain wage bill, and also wondering why the wages of resident doctors, who had exited the system could not be used for the employment of new doctors.

    The statement noted that the patient load over the years without a commensurate number of resident doctors, had prevented doctors from preparing adequately for their postgraduate examinations and the training of younger doctors and medical students.

    News Agency of Nigeria reports that the doctors claims to resort to indefinite strike, as several meetings with the previous and current administrations in the state to address the issue failed to yield any positive response. In their plea to better the working conditions, the union demands that the state government should replace vacant positions of resident doctors.

    Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors said this would avert poor outcomes, breakdown of health of doctors, low morale and non-cordial relationships among the staff of the teaching hospital.

  • Borno Gov suspends medical director, four doctors for absenteeism

    Borno Gov suspends medical director, four doctors for absenteeism

    Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has directed immediate suspension of the medical director at the Umaru Shehu Ultra-Modern Hospital and four doctors absent when they were supposed to be on call.
    The Governor visited the State Specialist and Umaru Shehu hospitals from midnight to 2 am during which he discovered that none of the 19 resident doctors, including the two on call were available to look after patients.
    The Governor had instructed nurses to call the doctors on phone during his visit but none responded.
    A statement on Wednesday explained: ‎”Governor Zulum has ordered the suspension of the Medical Director of Umaru Shehu hospital, Dr Audu Usman, for his failure of leadership.
    “The affected doctors include Dr. Musa Chuwang and Dr. Chijioke Ibemere who absented themselves while on call has also been suspended.
    “Dr. Baba Ali Malgwi, who was second on call, was suspended over his inability to respond to telephone calls during the Governor’s visit.
    “At the same time, frantic attempt to reach him was impossible even when he lives within the doctors’ quarters located around the hospital.
    “Similarly, Dr Esther of the Pediatrics department, who was supposed to be on duty, was found absent and also suspended.
    “All medical doctors attached to the accident and emergency unit are to be queried for their absence and the lack of duty roaster.
    “Chief Medical Director of the Borno State Hospitals Management Board is directed to comply with the Governor’s directive while he is to take measures that should ensure all gap are filled.
    “Governor Zulum is determined to ensure that all hospitals across Borno State provide adequate healthcare delivery at all times through.”

  • Medical council inducts 412 foreign-trained doctors

    The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has granted 412 foreign-trained Nigerian doctors the nod to practice medicine.
    The breakdown shows 407 medical doctors and five dentists.
    893 foreign-trained medical and dental students appeared for the examination while the 412 inducted were successful.
    The overall percentage pass is 46 percent.
    The doctors, who had to undergo another training and examination on returning to the country, were inducted on Thursday.
    Chairman of the council, Prof. Abba Hassan, urged the Federal Government to domicile the central internship fund in the council.
    This, he said, is to enable the council centralise internship project this year.
    Hassan also appealed to state governments to upgrade at least three hospitals to standard suitable for internship and to also recruit the required number of consultants to supervise them.
    This, he said, will create enough spaces for internship every year.
    Hassan also emphasised the need for parents to be cautious as to which countries to send their children for training, while noting that there are ongoing efforts to increase carrying capacities of the existing medical schools in the country.
    His summation may not be unconnected to the rate of failure in the examinations organised for the foreign students, which recorded 46 percent pass rate.
    He explained: “Some of the candidates are very good as reflected by the performance in the assessment exam.’’
    To the new doctors, he charged them to be dedicated and humble in practice.
    Speaking before the administration of pledge by the inductees, the Registrar of the Council, Dr Tanudeen Sanusi, warned against acts that are contrary to the code of ethics of the profession.
    While noting the council frowns against professional misconducts, Sanusi noted if a doctor is found to be a treat to medical practice and public health in the cause of investigation such doctor may be suspended from practicing.
    “Doctors shoulder a lot of responsibilities and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria will not tolerate ethical misconduct,” he added
    Already 120 practicing doctors are under investigations on alleged professional misconducts while 60 are awaiting trial at the MDCN Tribunal.
    Sanusi also revealed the council’s code of ethics is under review; adding also that the review of the council Act is in process.

  • Patient stabs self to death while waiting for doctors at UBTH

    Patient stabs self to death while waiting for doctors at UBTH

    A yet-to-be identified man who was admitted at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has committed suicide.
    The shocking incident occurred at the weekend at the Accident and Emergency (A & E) Ward of the hospital, as the man awaited doctors to attend to him.
    Witnesses said the man stabbed himself to death with a broken louvre beside his bed.
    According to the witness who said he was also admitted at the hospital said the deceased came to the hospital with his wife.
    “The man suddenly became wild and broke a louvre beside his window and stabbed himself to death”, he said.
    “His wife was not around. She went out to buy something outside. There was blood everywhere. We were lucky not to have been injured.
    Spokesman for the hospital, Mr. Joshua Uwaila confirmed the incident.
    “An unfortunate incident happened on Saturday night 13th July, 2019 at about 10:30 pm when a young man who was a patient at the male medical ward of our hospital (diagnosis not disclosed for confidentiality sake), suddenly broke a louvre and stabbed himself. All efforts to resuscitate him proved abortive as he was certified dead at 11:00 pm.
    “The result of autopsy is being awaited at the moment.”

  • Ngige clarifies position on doctors’ brain drain

    Ngige clarifies position on doctors’ brain drain

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, has clarified his position on the issue of migration by Nigerian medical doctors to foreign nations, a development which has reportedly led to brain drain in the nation’s medical profession.

    Ngige made this known in a statement signed by Mr Nwachukwu Obidiwe, his Special Assistant on Media, in Abuja on Thursday.

    He was reacting to a media report on Channels Television, where he reportedly said that the issue of doctors leaving the country in a large number did not call for much concern.

    He described the attendant controversies that had trailed the comment in the media as unnecessary, calling for a deeper understanding of the issue in question.

    “I speak from the vantage position of being a medical doctor and member, Nigerian Medical Association since June, 1979 and enriched by my vast knowledge on health administration.

    “Having retired as a Deputy Director, Medical Services and Training from the Federal Ministry of Health in 1998, member of Vision 2010 Committee on Health as well as senior member, Senate Committee on Health 2011-2015.

    “Therefore, the truth no matter how it hurts, must be told and reality, boldly faced. Hence, apart from Nigeria’s non-compliance with the World Health Organisation’s ratio of one doctor to six hundred patients of which I was misquoted.

    “Every other thing I said in that interview is an existential reality, useful and constructive facts which every Nigerian that watched the full interview will hardly dispute.

    “I invite opinion moulders especially those who have spoken or written on this issue to watch the full clip of my interview with the channels.

    “And it is for this reason that I admitted having a little cause to worry about brain drain among medical doctors.

    “The fact is that while the Federal Government has recorded a remarkably steady improvement in our healthcare system, Nigeria is yet to get there. Ngige said.

    The minister added that Nigeria did not at present, have enough health facilities to accommodate all the doctors seeking to do tertiary specialist training (residency) in the teaching hospitals, federal medical centres and few accredited state and private specialist centres in the country.

    He also noted that roughly 20 per cent of the yearly applicants were being absorbed while the remaining 80 per cent tried their luck elsewhere.

    He, however, noted that most of these rejected applicants usually throng the Federal Ministry of Health and that of Labour and Employment to complain of being illegally schemed out.

    The statement explained further that what the minister meant was that these professionals had the right to seek training abroad to sharpen their skills and become specialists.

    “They later turn this problem to a national advantage when they repatriate their legitimate earnings and later return to the country.

    “Even where some of these doctors are bonded to their overseas training institutions, examples abound on the large number of them who have successfully returned to settle and establish specialist centres across the country.

    “It is, therefore, a question of turning your handicap to an advantage, the minister said.

    He said the situation was not peculiar to Nigeria, as countries like Pakistan, Ceylon, Bangledesh exported teachers to secondary schools in the old Eastern and Northern Regions in the 60’s and 70’s when their earnings were also repatriated to their countries.

    He further stated that the Ministry of Labour and Employment had a migration policy, developed with the European Union to assist skilled Nigerians to work and earn decent living abroad.

    He also noted that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora had done a lot of work in encouraging Nigerian professionals abroad to return.

    He also noted that a good number of doctors were relocating from the United States and other European countries.

    “Luckily, the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and Employment is developing a federal assisted programme for these young doctors and other allied health professionals such as pharmacists, physiotherapists in a move to broaden training opportunities.

    “It again asserted that Nigeria has enough medical personnel to man non-specialist centres in the rural areas,’’ he said

    He regretted that the major problem was the refusal of young doctors to work in the hinterland.

    “Even the National Youth Service Corps doctors, all, today seek postings to the cities as against what obtained some decades ago.

    “Besides, doctors who did not get the few vacancies in the tertiary centres especially those owned by the Federal Government find it difficult to work in the rural hospitals.

    “But the truth is that the Federal Government has in its 2019 Budget now before the National Assembly, implemented the Health Act provisions for one per cent of the consolidated revenue of the Federation to be added to the health budget to boost medical services.

    “This, especially at the grassroots in partnership with the state governments who are expected to make a five per cent counterpart contribution,” he added.

    He, therefore, said the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) State chapters and National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had a duty to campaign and persuade State governments to devote more funds to healthcare.

    He added that doctors’ union was not only for the purpose of personal aggrandisement, or asking for more emoluments and urging members to go on strike.

    “Therefore, while the Federal Government, indeed, government at all levels strive to meet up with the World Health ratio of one doctor to five hundred patients.

    “We appeal to the Nigerian Medical Association to prevail on its members to serve in the rural areas.

    “That the Federal Government has an on-going programme that will in near future, revive and revitalise all the basic health centres in all the wards across the federation,’’ he said.

  • Doctors free to leave Nigeria– Ngige

    Doctors free to leave Nigeria– Ngige

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said doctors who feel they want to relocate in search of greener pastures, are free to do so because the nation has enough medical personnels.

    Ngige made this known on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.

    The minister made the statement while responding to a question on brain drain and the deliberate recruitment of Nigerian doctors by foreign embassies in Nigeria to the detriment of the nation’s health sector.

    Ngige, who is also a medical doctor, said: “No, I am not worried (about doctors leaving the country). We have surplus. If you have surplus, you export. It happened some years ago here. I was taught chemistry and biology by Indian teachers in my secondary school days.

    “There are surplus in their country and we also have surplus in the medical profession in our country. I can tell you this. In my area, we have excess.

    “Who said we don’t have enough doctors? We have more than enough. You can quote me. There is nothing wrong in them travelling out. When they go abroad, they earn money and send them back home here. Yes, we have foreign exchange earnings from them and not just oil.”

    Asked if he was sure of what he was saying, the minister said it was good for doctors to travel out as they would be trained and their capacity to work would improve.

    “Will you call that brain drain? I know a couple of them who practise abroad but set up medical centres back home. They have CAT scan, MRI scan which even the government cannot maintain. So, I don’t see any loss,” he said.