NMA Dares Jonathan - Asks Resident Doctors To Reject Sack Letters

The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has ordered
all resident doctors to reject the federal government
directive and not collect any sack letters from the
management of their hospitals.
After a meeting by the association’s National Officers’
Committee, NOC, on Friday, the doctors were also
advised not to sign any register opened by the
Nigerian government or any hospital.
On Thursday, President Goodluck Jonathan ordered
the sack of about 16,000 resident doctors in Nigeria.
Resident doctors are also members of the NMA,
which has been on strike since July 1.
The directive by Mr. Jonathan was stated in an
internal memo dated August 13 and signed by the
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, L.N.
Awute. The memo was addressed to tertiary
hospitals.
Mr. Awute said the directive was given in a view of
the challenges facing the health sector while
hospitals could employ part time doctors (locum)
who must be of ‘good behaviour’.
The memo also contained a sample of sack letters to
be issued all the resident doctors in the different
hospitals.
“In compliance with this order, I am to regrettably
inform you that your appointment in this hospital is
hereby terminated forthwith,” the permanent
secretary said in the specimen sack letter she asked
hospitals to issue resident doctors.
However, the NMA, in its resolution, ordered medical
doctors to not apply for part time job as directed by
FG’s circular.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no medical doctor no
matter how hungry, should pick up any locum
appointment with the government hospitals
as directed by the circular. Any doctor who flouts this
directive, does so at his/her own peril,” the
association said.
All doctors were also directed to remain committed
to volunteering to help contain the Ebola Disease
outbreak in Nigeria.
The association also advised the Nigerian
government to ensure that people under the deadly
disease surveillance do not travel outside their
domain of residence.
The NMA also admonished all its members to remain
calm and wait for further directive from the
association.
The association condemned the president’s directive
and asked him to withdraw the suspension circular
and unconditionally reinstate all the ‘so-called sacked’
resident doctors.
It demanded that the government show commitment
in resolving current impasse with the association
rather than resorting to punitive measures that will
only further aggravate the already
deplorable situation.
The federal government had in its circular indicated
that the resident doctors were being sacked because
the government was suspending residency training
“indefinitely.”
The NMA, however, advised that rather than abolish
residency training, government should show more
commitment towards improving the already poorly
funded programme.