[READ & SHARE] Doctors protest sack in Lagos, Ibadan, Akure Via @iKanzee_RR

Hundreds of doctors, yesterday, took
to major streets in Lagos, Ibadan, Akure in
Ondo State, to protest against the purported
sack of 16,000 resident doctors.
In Lagos, the doctors staged a peaceful
march around the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital, LUTH, in their white
laboratory coats as they handed a letter of
outright rejection of the sack of 16,000
resident doctors to the Chief Medical
Director of LUTH, Professor Akin Osibogun
for onward delivery to President Goodluck
Jonathan and the Minister of Health,
Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu.
The doctors, who claimed that the protest
was part of the efforts to register their
displeasure and also make the government
to reverse the sack, were carrying placards
with inscriptions such as: Chukwu must go,
Das All,’
‘No more overseas checkup with tax
payers’ money,’ ‘We say no to Chukwu and
Jonathan,’ ‘Sack of 16,000 resident doctors,
death sentence for Nigerians!’ ‘Sack Ebola,
not Doctors,’ ‘Sack Boko Haram not
Doctors’, ‘Sack Chukwu not Doctors” and
‘No to casualisation of doctors,’ among
others.
Taking turns to address the gathering, the
protesting doctors declared that the sack of
16,000 doctors were not acceptable to them.
According to them, the Medical and Dental
Council of Nigeria, MDCN, as at this year
registered 26,000 medical doctors and if
16,000 are sacked only 10,000 will be
serving 170 million Nigerians.
Addressing the protesters which include
medical students and friends of the doctors,
State Chairman of the association, Dr. Tope
Ojo, who addressed journalist at the
premises of the Lagos University Teaching
Hospital, LUTH, said that the sack of
resident doctors in all Federal Teaching
Hospitals in the country would lead to
imminent collapse of the health sector.
In Ibadan, the doctors started the protest
around 12noon from the association’s office
at Total Garden and passed through the
main entrance of the University College
Hospital, Ibadan where the State NMA
Chairman, Dr. Muideen Babatunde Olatunji
and the National Association of Resident
Doctors, UCH chapter, Dr. Franklin Anor
addressed newsmen.
The doctors dressed in their laboratory
coats displayed placards with various
inscriptions such as “Sack Ebola, not
doctors”, “No, to oppression of doctors”, “Is
this our reward for saving lives?”
In Akure, led by the Chairman of the
association in the state, Dr. Bamidele
Betiku, they said the decision of the Federal
Government would make the country lack
specialised doctors and make adequate
health care delivery elusive to the masses.
The protesting doctors matched from their
office on Igbatoro road to the governor’s
office in Alagbaka, Akure singing solidarity
songs
Some of the placards displayed read “Sack
Onyibuchi now”, “Nigerian Doctors Say No
to Exploitation”, “ MOH, Why Kill Residency
Training”.
The Chairman said the doctors were
protesting to make government correct the
mistake of sacking the resident doctors
across the country.
Meanwhile, NLC in a statement by its
President, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, said
“The recent mass dismissal of resident
medical doctors in federal hospitals across
the country by the Federal Government is
ill-advised, and therefore should be re-
considered and reversed given prevailing
health challenges.
Similarly, Trade Union Congress of
Nigeria, TUC, implored the Federal
Government to reverse its decision to sack
the striking doctors, warning that the
nation could not afford any calamity such
sack might cause.
Bobboi Kaigama and Musa Lawal,
respectively, said “while we understand the
plight of the Government in having to
simultaneously contain both the threat of
Boko Haram to national security and the
challenge of the ebola disease, we consider
it very precarious for it to insist on sacking
the doctors at this time.  On the other hand,
we charge all the doctors to listen to the
voice of reason and the cries of Nigerians
and end (or at least suspend) the strike and
return to work, if only to resolve the ebola
mystery on our hands. Even enemies strike
a truce and unite when faced by a more
dangerous mutual adversary.”