As Nigeria battles with Ebola virus, the doctors should call off the strike in the interest of the public
Medical practitioners under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) remain on strike amidst increasing emergencies and incredible domestic health scares with international reverberations. Last week, the first case of infection and death resulting from the Ebola virus was recorded in Nigeria. This has raised concerns about the country’s preparedness for such medical emergencies and its general state of healthcare services.
The NMA has come out to say that doctors would treat Ebola patients in the event of outbreak of the disease in the country. According to the NMA National Vice-President, Dr Titus Ibekwe, “NMA has been on strike even before the Ebola scare and we are still on strike, but notwithstanding, if there is an outbreak of Ebola in the country we will attend to such cases. We are not against Nigerians; we care for the people; all we want is for justice to be done."
Dr Jibril Abdullahi, the National President of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) also said that its members would pay attention to public emergencies including Ebola outbreak. “Ebola is an issue of great concerns to all Nigerians. We have demonstrated copiously by our conduct in Kaduna and Kano states after the recent bomb blast that doctors are ready to respond to dire public emergencies including Ebola,” Abdullahi said. He, however, advocated for appropriate resolution of the demands of the striking doctors for them to return to work instead of threats from government. “ Threats and demonisation of doctors through state-sponsored drama will not work,” he said.
The NMA is insisting that its demands be met before its personnel return to work and the government has taken a drastic position that it would not print money to pay the striking doctors. Yet the stalemate between the doctors and the government simply leaves ordinary Nigerians to suffer. The doctors have no incentives to return to work armed with the knowledge that their salaries will be paid whether they work or not. In addition, the medical doctors continue to divert patients to private hospitals, where they have their practices, to get treated at exorbitant fees especially during this strike period as patients are not being attended to at government institutions.
Whatever may be our misgivings about the strike by the doctors, we do not believe that the authorities have handled the issue very well. We consider it tactless for the government to postulate that it cannot print money to meet the demands of the association. While no one expects the government to print money, it remains our expectation that the government must be concerned enough for the life and health of the citizenry. It must therefore seek more amicable ways to resolve crisis.
In the same vein, the NMA actions are insensitive and in contravention of the ethics of the medical and dental practices in Nigeria. The principal objective of medical and dental practitioners is the promotion of the health of patients. In so doing, medical and dental personnel are enjoined to be concerned for the common good and accord full respect to the human dignity of individuals. Forcibly discharging patients from hospitals as a result of the strike cannot be said to conform to this principal objective. In addition, while it is not wrong for them to put pressure to bear on the government, this must not be done in a way that contravenes their professional oath.
We therefore call on the NMA members to call off this strike in the interest of the general public. Grievances should be aired and demands made in ways that do not put the sector and general population at severe risk. The strike is not in the best interest of Nigerians.
The NMA has come out to say that doctors would treat Ebola patients in the event of outbreak of the disease in the country. According to the NMA National Vice-President, Dr Titus Ibekwe, “NMA has been on strike even before the Ebola scare and we are still on strike, but notwithstanding, if there is an outbreak of Ebola in the country we will attend to such cases. We are not against Nigerians; we care for the people; all we want is for justice to be done."
Dr Jibril Abdullahi, the National President of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) also said that its members would pay attention to public emergencies including Ebola outbreak. “Ebola is an issue of great concerns to all Nigerians. We have demonstrated copiously by our conduct in Kaduna and Kano states after the recent bomb blast that doctors are ready to respond to dire public emergencies including Ebola,” Abdullahi said. He, however, advocated for appropriate resolution of the demands of the striking doctors for them to return to work instead of threats from government. “ Threats and demonisation of doctors through state-sponsored drama will not work,” he said.
The NMA is insisting that its demands be met before its personnel return to work and the government has taken a drastic position that it would not print money to pay the striking doctors. Yet the stalemate between the doctors and the government simply leaves ordinary Nigerians to suffer. The doctors have no incentives to return to work armed with the knowledge that their salaries will be paid whether they work or not. In addition, the medical doctors continue to divert patients to private hospitals, where they have their practices, to get treated at exorbitant fees especially during this strike period as patients are not being attended to at government institutions.
Whatever may be our misgivings about the strike by the doctors, we do not believe that the authorities have handled the issue very well. We consider it tactless for the government to postulate that it cannot print money to meet the demands of the association. While no one expects the government to print money, it remains our expectation that the government must be concerned enough for the life and health of the citizenry. It must therefore seek more amicable ways to resolve crisis.
In the same vein, the NMA actions are insensitive and in contravention of the ethics of the medical and dental practices in Nigeria. The principal objective of medical and dental practitioners is the promotion of the health of patients. In so doing, medical and dental personnel are enjoined to be concerned for the common good and accord full respect to the human dignity of individuals. Forcibly discharging patients from hospitals as a result of the strike cannot be said to conform to this principal objective. In addition, while it is not wrong for them to put pressure to bear on the government, this must not be done in a way that contravenes their professional oath.
We therefore call on the NMA members to call off this strike in the interest of the general public. Grievances should be aired and demands made in ways that do not put the sector and general population at severe risk. The strike is not in the best interest of Nigerians.
No comments:
Post a Comment
post a comment