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Tag: doctors

  • 88 doctors quit Kogi civil service under Gov Yahaya Bello – NMA

    88 doctors quit Kogi civil service under Gov Yahaya Bello – NMA

    The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has called on Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi to reverse the ‘current internal drift’ of doctors and other healthcare workers in the state.

    The association made the appeal in a statement issued to newsmen in Lokoja on Monday by the state NMA Chairman, Dr Kabiru Zubair.

    This followed the exit of 88 medical doctors from the state public service.

    The association however felicitated with the governor on the celebration of his third year anniversary in office and for making healthcare one of his five thematic areas.

    According to Zubair, “Under this administration, a total of 88 doctors have left the Kogi Civil Service; previously, 79 doctors left plus another nine who had succeeded in securing new employment recently.

    “Doctors and other healthcare workers remained the drivers of healthcare delivery anywhere in the world.

    “Steps such as the payment of outstanding salary arrears of doctors and other healthcare workers, implementation of the corrected CONMESS, promotion and annual step increment, among others, are needed to reverse this unfortunate trend.

    “As you commence your fourth year in office, the NMA as the custodian of the health of the people is ready and willing to partner with state government to improve the health sector in Kogi.”

    Zubair said that the association equally felicitated with the Deputy Governor, the SSG, the Chief of Staff, Commissioner for Health, Special Adviser on Health Matters and the entire cabinet members for sustaining the progress made thus far.

    Bello was sworn-in as the fourth civilian governor of Kogi by the state Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah, on Jan. 27, 2016.

    Zubair, however, commended the state government and Bello for some positive steps the government had taken in repositioning the health sector in the state.

     

  • [Photos] Nigerian doctors separate conjoined twins in Abuja hospital

    …As Speaker Yakubu Dogara pays bill
    A team of Nigerian doctors on Tuesday successfully separated a set of conjoined twins at University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada.



    The doctors led by Dr Nuhu Kwajafa of the Global Peace Initiatives confirmed the success of the operation that took them many hours in a post on his Instagram account @nuhukwaj.


    “We wish to express our profound gratitude, as we say a massive thank you to Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara, for his kind hearted and extremely generous gesture to the successfully separated twins and their family…God bless you Sir”, Dr Kwajafa posted.

  • Over 5,000 Nigerian doctors practicing in South Africa – Official

    Mr Godwin Adama, the Consul General of Nigeria in South Africa, says about 5,000 Nigerian medical practitioners are in South Africa.

    Adama made this known in a statement issued by the Vice Consul, Information, and Culture, Mr. David Abraham, made available newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

    The Consul General, who made this known when Nigerian Doctors’ Forum South Africa, led by its Secretary-General, Dr Emeka Ugwu, visited him at the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg said the medical practitioners were in various teaching, public and private hospitals in South Africa.

    “This shows that virtually every hospital in South Africa has a sizeable number of Nigerian doctors; and this includes teaching, public and private hospitals.

    “What this means is that Nigerian doctors and other professionals are constantly adding value to the system and this cannot be over-emphasised,’’ he said.

    “South Africa is replete with many Nigerian professionals who are contributing to the economic development in both public and private sectors in the country.

    “Unfortunately, this has been either not reported at all or grossly under-reported.

    “It is in this light that Nigerian professionals in South Africa have determined that they will no longer sit by and allow their numerous contributions undermined and eroded by negative publicity,” he said.

    Adama said that Nigerian Doctors in South Africa had been involved in medical outreaches, where they rendered health services to the less privileged members of the society, particularly to the Nigerian nationals.

    He said that the consulate would continue to celebrate Nigerian medical doctors and other professionals in South Africa.

    He reiterated that the consulate would continue to partner all Nigerian Associations in South Africa to advance the wellbeing and welfare of Nigerians in that country.

    “We, therefore, use this medium to call on all our nationals to emulate the professionals and continue to be law-abiding,” he said.

    Earlier, the Secretary-General of the Forum informed the consulate about its activities and the need to continue to render improved services in the South African health sector.

     

     

  • Doctors threaten nationwide strike if FG accedes JOHESU demands

    Doctors under the aegis of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) have threatened to withdraw their services across health institutions in the country if the federal government accedes to the demands of other health workers (JOHESU) who have been on strike for the past three weeks.

    The strike by JOHESU( Joint Health Sector Union) has crippled healthcare delivery across the country, and has left millions without care.

    The doctors, who are opposed to salary adjustment and harmonisation, one of the major demands of the striking health workers under JOHESU, said the warning became necessary as state and local government workers had been directed to join the JOHESU strike in a bid to force the government to act.

    When the strike began on April 17, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in an apparent continuation of the rivalry among health workers, described JOHESU as an “illegal body” and urged the government to ignore its threat.

    On Thursday, the NMA in a statement signed by its newly elected president, Francis Faduyile, said it reached an agreement with the government in 2014 not to accede to demands of other health workers relating to salary adjustments and harmonisation.

    “The NMA wishes to draw the attention of the Federal Government to our correspondence of April 21, 2014 on the above, in which we reminded Government of the collective bargaining agreement we had with the Federal Government of Nigeria in January 2014.

    “It is also pertinent to once again remind Government about the concluding part of our letter no. NMA/PRE/SG/03/0751 of 21st March 2014, which states, “In view of the above, the NMA painfully wishes to inform the Federal Government of Nigeria that any award to the non-medically qualified health professionals that violates the January and July agreements of 2014 shall result in the resumption of the suspended withdrawal of service of 2014. Please take this as a notice sir”.

    “The above reminder is predicated on the extension of the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the amorphous body called ‘’JOHESU’’, to States and Local government areas, the basis of which is to strengthen its callous and ill motivated agitation for pay parity between her members and doctors with the resultant erosion of relativity and further hierarchical distortion in the health sector vis-à-vis her clandestine romance with some top government officials.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigerian Medical Association wishes to restate her positions on the various demands of JOHESU:

    “We oppose vehemently, any adjustment in CONHESS SALARY SCALE with resultant pay parity between doctors and healthcare professionals allied to medicine, and hereby reaffirm that relativity is sacrosanct,” the statement read in part.

  • Strike: Doctors kick against same salary structure with health workers, says ‘JOHESU is illegal’

    …warns FG not to accede to JOHESU’s demands

    Members of the Nigeria Medical Association on Tuesday warned the Federal Government against acceding to some of the demands over which other workers in the health sector have embarked on a nationwide strike.

    The doctors who specifically opposed salary adjustment and harmonization, one of the major demands of the Joint Health Staff Union (JOHESU), said acceding to the demand would precipitate a crisis that may lead to the collapse of the health sector of the country.

    JOHESU, the association of other health workers apart from medical doctors and dentists, on Monday announced its members will begin an indefinite strike from Tuesday night.

    The association had called a nationwide strike last September.

    Some of its major demands included salary adjustments, promotion arrears and improved work environment for members. On the ninth day of the September strike, the union struck a deal with government.

    But according to the union, six months after, government is yet to meet any of its demands.

    Last month, the union gave the government a 30-day ultimatum to meet the demands. That ultimatum elapses Tuesday.

    However, in what seems like rivalry among health workers in Nigeria, the doctors described JOHESU as an ‘illegal body’ and urged government to ignore its threat.

    “JOHESU is an illegal body. it is illegal because it is not registered. Just yesterday their leadership came on air to attack doctors, the strike they are planning is against medical doctors”, the NMA president, Mike Ogirima, said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

    The NMA insisted it is opposed to some of the demands by JOHESU, in particular about salary harmonisation.

    Nobody is preventing them (JOHESU) from getting a salary increase. But all over the world, there is relativity package for medical workers different from other health workers.

    “In Nigeria and other countries, doctors are always at advantaged position, that is why most of these other health workers are trying by all means to get that degree called medical doctor. But we know the difference because doctors are trained in all paraphernalia of medical practice, that is why all over the world doctors have a different salary package from others”, Mr Ogirima said.

    He advised the government to thread with caution in engaging with JOHESU so as not to “allow rascality in the health sector.”

    “It is high time the government regulated the activities of this JOHESU, we are not going to fight with them, we are humane and the health of our patients is central.”

    Chiedozie Achonwa, the NMA chairman in Abuja, said medical doctors will be in the hospitals and continue to attend to patients even if JOHESU members across the nation embark on the proposed strike.

    “I think everybody is entitled to make demands for an increase in salary including JOHESU. But what the government should put into consideration is that there is an internationally accepted relativity in remuneration for health workers and that relativity must be maintained. Any attempt to distort that relativity means they want the health sector to collapse and I don’t think any of us wants that.

    “We as medical doctors are not interested in strike. We are interested in the lives of our patients and doing medical outreach,” Mr Achonwa said.
    The NMA had earlier in an open letter to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said doctors are not prepared to receive same salary with other health workers.

    Top on the list of issues raised in the October 3 letter was that JOHESU has no justification to demand for adjustment of salary scale as was done for CONMESS.

    Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, is the salary structure for medical and dental officers in the federal public service while Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS, is the salary structure for pharmacists, medical laboratory, nurses and other health workers in the health sector of the federal public service.

    The National Vice Chairman of JOHESU, Ogbonna Chimela on Tuesday however explained that the unions are not asking for salary harmonisation with medical doctors but for an adjusted CONHESS salary.

    Mr. Chimela gave more insight on the salary issue.

    “In 2009 the government approved the CONHESS and CONMESS salary structures, the former for medical doctors while the latter is for other health care professionals.

    “Before, medical doctors enter service on grade level 9 while the rest of us enter on 8 but after the 2009 negotiation of salary structure, medical doctors started entering service on grade level 12 while we enter at that same 8.

    “So relativity had been established at the point of entry because they spent six years in school while other health workers spend five or four years, so you can see the years of training of the both groups are different that, is why government allows doctors to enter service at grade level 12 while we enter at 8 to maintain relativity.

    “In 2014 there was an adjustment to the CONMESS salary and we are just agitating for our own to also be adjusted. So tell me if our salary is adjusted by 20 percent and we are on grade level 8, can it be the same as some one entering service on grade level 12?

    “They are thinking that we want to start asking for same quantum of salary with them, but it can never be the same because our point of entry differs because if I enter service at grade level 8, before I can get to grade level 12, I would have spent nine years in service.

    “So there is no way our paths can ever cross, they will continue to gain more until they leave service. So they are the ones that are even oppressing us, they just don’t want our own adjustment to see the light of the day,” he said.

    On the allegation that JOHESU is an illegal body, the union leader also gave an explanation.

    He said the unions that make up JOHESU in the health sector were registered by Decree 22 of 1978.

    He isted the unions as Senior Staff Associations of Universities, Teaching Hospitals and Research Institutes; National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives; Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria; Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU).

    Mr. Chimela said the five unions came together and formed JOHESU as an umbrella body due to constant pressure from NMA.

    “So if the parent entities are registered but because of the pressure from NMA, we now formed a pressure group, would you say it is illegal? The parent bodies are legitimately registered and known by law.”

    On Monday, the Health Minister, Isaac Adewole, said the government was already working out modalities to avert JOHESU members going on strike.

    “We are reaching out to abort the strike. Almost all demands have been met. Government is looking into remaining issues to address them comprehensively,” he said.

     

  • 74 days after, Kogi doctors suspend strike, resume treatment of patients

    Normal medical and healthcare services have resumed at Kogi State Government-owned hospitals, seventy-four (74) days after the doctors embarked on a statewide strike to press home their demands.

    This followed the suspension of 74-day old strike by members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state.

    A NAN correspondent who monitored developments at the State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), Lokoja, on Thursday confirmed that healthcare activities had returned to the hospital.

    Some patients were seen waiting for doctors for consultations at the Outpatient Department of the hospital, including the hospital laboratory and pharmacy.

    A patient, Mrs Alimat Abdulrahman, told NAN that she was happy that the strike had been suspended, saying she had spent exorbitant amounts on the health of her sick child at a private clinic to no avail.

    “I am appealing to the government and doctors to always use dialogue as a tool to resolving industrial disputes.

    “Government at all levels need to do more for health workers to avoid incessant strikes,” Abdulrahman said.

    Mr Omeiza Adavi, a male patient, said he was glad that the strike was suspended after a very long period, saying many patients have suffered a lot due to the strike.

    He commended the doctors for sheathing their sword by suspending the strike in spite the fact that all their demands have not been met by the state government.

    One of the doctors, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said: “I am personally not happy about the whole situation as many doctors are in the state.

    However, Dr Ahmed Attah, the Special Adviser to the Gov. Yahaya Bello on Health Matters, expressed his gratitude to God for seeing them through the challenge of the prolonged industrial action by the NMA.

    “We thank God that in spite the strike action, the people of Kogi, who are at the receiving end, were able to get services for their health challenges from FMC, Lokoja, and private hospitals within the state, but some had to travel outside the state for medical treatment.

    “So, it is a period of reflecting over what has happened, a period to call on everyone to see what is possible to ensure that the people of Kogi are protected,” Attah said.

    He noted that the governor had taken healthcare as one of the top priorities of his administration, stressing that Bello has continued to maintain that the life and health of every citizen is very important to him.

    The special aide added that the governor was ready to do everything possible within his power to make sure that residents get the best healthcare service.

    “So, what has happened is now behind us, the important thing now is for everybody to join hands to work together to ensure that the vision of the governor succeed in the health sector.

    “The health sector is one delicate place that is full of emergencies and His Excellency understands that, and has put us on the field to continue to engage with the doctors until we got the strike suspended.

    “You can see that the doctors have resumed to their duty posts today. We commend the NMA for their consideration.

    “Of course, we are aware there are challenges of the arrears of salaries but the governor has not rested in ensuring the full payment of all emoluments of doctors and all other health workers in the state,” Attah said.

    NAN recalls that the NMA suspended the strike on March 19, and directed its members to resume on March 22, to facilitate further negotiations with the state government.

  • Canadian doctors protest pay raises, demand slash in salaries

    In Canada, more than 500 doctors and residents, as well as over 150 medical students, have signed a public letter protesting their own pay raises.

    “We, Quebec doctors who believe in a strong public system, oppose the recent salary increases negotiated by our medical federations,” the letter says.

    The group say they are offended that they would receive raises when nurses and patients are struggling.

    “These increases are all the more shocking because our nurses, clerks and other professionals face very difficult working conditions, while our patients live with the lack of access to required services because of the drastic cuts in recent years and the centralization of power in the Ministry of Health,” reads the letter, which was published February 25.

    “The only thing that seems to be immune to the cuts is our remuneration,” the letter says.

    Canada has a public health system which provides “universal coverage for medically necessary health care services provided on the basis of need, rather than the ability to pay,” the government’s website says.

    The 213 general practitioners, 184 specialists, 149 resident medical doctors and 162 medical students want the money used for their raises to be returned to the system instead.

    “We believe that there is a way to redistribute the resources of the Quebec health system to promote the health of the population and meet the needs of patients without pushing workers to the end,” the letter says.

    “We, Quebec doctors, are asking that the salary increases granted to physicians be canceled and that the resources of the system be better distributed for the good of the health care workers and to provide health services worthy to the people of Quebec.”

    A physician in Canada is paid $260,924 ($339,000 Canadian) for clinical services by the government’s Ministry of Health per year on average, according to a report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information published in September 2017. On average, a family physician is paid $211,717 ($275,000 Canadian) for clinical services and a surgical specialist is paid $354,915 ($461,000 Canadian), according to the same report.

    This is total gross pay, however, and does not take into account overhead each doctor pays to operate, as the Canadian Institute for Health Information is careful to point out to CNBC Make It.

    In May 2016, one physician publicly broke down the cost of running his family practice, and though he brought in $231,033 ($300,000 Canadian), he was left with $136,906 ($177,876 Canadian) after subtracting his business expenses — but before taxes and employment benefits are taken out.

    The cost of medical school in Canada is subsidized by provincial governments, according to The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada. The cost varies depending on whether a student is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or foreign student and the particular school. For Canadian citizens or permanent residents, tuition for the first year of medical school ranges from $2567 ($3,334 Canadian) to $20,064 ($26,056 Canadian), according to The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada’s website.

    The same group, the Médecins Québécois pour le Régime Public (MQRP), that published the aforementioned public letter, also published a letter on February 17 opposing $500 million worth of pay increases for specialist doctors. The group called the pay increase “indecent.”

    And on February 1, the MQRP published a letter denouncing working conditions of nurses. “The nurses are exhausted by a heavy workload. They argue that the chronic lack of staff and the fatigue caused by repeated overtime, sometimes mandatory, for lack of replacement of the team, have an impact on the safety of patient care,” the letter says.

     

    culled from www.cnbc.com

  • N21.7m fraud: Doctors make moves to quash charges

    N21.7m fraud: Doctors make moves to quash charges

    Five former executive members of the Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), standing trial over alleged N21.7m fraud, have prayed the court to quash the charges against them.

    Emmanuel Ighodaro (chairman) Anthony Owolabi, Quincy Atoghengbe, Raymond Ogieva and Oseremen Gabriel Ogbebor were arraigned before the state High Court on January 31 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    They were accused of conspiracy to commit felony, fraudulent false accounting and stealing of about N21.7 million belonging to the Edo State chapter of the NMA.

    The accused persons, who were executive members of the state NMA between 2013 and 2014, pleaded not guilty to the 21-count charge and were granted bail.

    At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to EFCC, Ben Ubi, told the court that counsel to the defendants have filed separate applications, seeking its leave to quash the charges and also challenge the court jurisdiction the matter.

    The presiding judge, Justice Efe Ikponwmonba, adjourned case to March 20, for definite hearing.

  • Only careless doctors contact lass fever while treating patients – Health Minister

    Only careless doctors contact lass fever while treating patients – Health Minister

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has said the refusal of medical doctors to take necessary precaution while treating patients infected with lassa fever is responsible for the spread of the deadly disease among the doctors themselves.

    The Minister, who stated this in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on Saturday when he paid a courtesy call on Governor David Umahi, described the recent outbreak in the state, which killed four health workers, as unfortunate.

    According to the Minister, most doctors treat the deadly disease as if it “is any other ordinary disease” and thus fail to wear protective medical apparels while treating patients.

    “What is worrisome is that when doctors and healthcare workers become infected then the country is in danger because every person that will go and meet that doctor or nurse is at risk.

    ”I want to say that up till today no health care worker has contacted Lassa at Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo state because if you take precaution, wear gloves before you take blood, wear gloves before you operate, you can’t catch Lassa fever.

    “Lassa fever requires close contact between the blood of an infected person and healthcare workers looking after him. Once you wear gloves, wear protective gown, you can’t have Lassa fever. But what we have discovered is that doctors and nurses treat Lassa as if it is just ordinary flu or malaria, but it is not,” the minister said.

    He blamed the delay to fully equip the Virology Centre Abakaliki, which was built and handed over to the federal government, on outbreak of other deadly diseases across the country.

    “It quite unfortunate that you handed the centre over to us but because of a few other things we could not respond immediately with the operationalisation of the lab”.

    “As we moved to operationalise the lab we had other challenges, we had monkey pox, we had meningitis and it appeared as if in trying to prioritise we thought lassa has calmed down a bit, we decided to quickly address these diseases and also the yellow fever outbreak”, he added.

    Responding, Mr.Umahi, represented by his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, said 16 cases have been recorded in the state.

    “Nine cases have been confirmed, six are suspected cases, one is a probable index case. Eight of them are at the Virology Centre Abakaliki while one is in Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo state.”

    He noted that three of the confirmed cases have been successfully treated and discharged.

     

  • ‘Over 600 doctors migrated out of Nigeria between 2016-2017’

    President of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Prof Mike Ogirima, yesterday expressed worry over the spate of migration of medical doctors from Nigeria to other countries, revealing that over 600 doctors had left between 2016 and 2017.

    Ogirima who said the country had continued to maintain poor doctor: patient ratio of 1: 4000 population, said the current migration was worsening the ratio.

    He challenged governments at all level to urgently address doctor’s welfare to check what he described as ‘dangerous trend. “In 2016, a total of 227 doctors were reported to have migrated out of Nigeria.

    More often, the reasons are for better working environment. This has resulted into poor health indices for the country. “Presently, due to the continued brain drain, the country’s doctor-patient ratio is one doctor to 4,000 patients.

    This is contrary to the one doctor to 600 patient ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation, WHO. Ogirima spoke at the National Executive Council, NEC, 2017 meeting of the NMA with the theme: “Exodus of Healthcare Professionals, Time To Act Is Now.”

    The Sub-Themes are: Doctors in Politics: How Far and How Well?; Rising Non Communicable Disease Deaths: Time For Effective Interactions; Economic Recession and Depressed Doctors: Effects On Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria; and Housing and Health.”