Doctors - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

NMA advocates end to casualisation of doctors

Folashade Adeniran
Apr, Wed, 2025

Health

NMA advocates end to casualisation of doctors

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By Oluwafunke Ishola

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to the Federal and state governments to immediately stop casualisation of doctors working in public hospitals across the country.

NMA’s first Vice-President, Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.

Olowojebutu contended that ending casualisation of doctors would help to check brain drain and restore sanity to the health sector.

“All doctors working in public hospitals must be given permanent and pensionable employment after a clearly defined probation period.

“Temporary contracts must not exceed one year,” Olowojebutu said.

Casualisation is employing professionals on temporary or contract bases without job security, benefits or career progression.

Olowojebutu lamented that casualisation had become the norm rather than the exception for medical doctors in Nigeria, particularly in state-owned hospitals and teaching institutions.

“Young doctors are hired as a locum or contract staff with no pension, no health insurance, and salaries that are slashed arbitrarily.

“Many work under this exploitative arrangement for years, with no hope of confirmation or permanent employment.

“These doctors are treated like expendable tools—recruited when needed and discarded without explanation.

“How can a government that claims to value healthcare allow such inhumane conditions persist?

“How can a system demand excellence from doctors while offering them crumbs and chaos in return?,” he queried.

According to him, the current reality shows that Nigerian doctors are not valued by their government.

He said that many doctors also faced victimisation when they spoke up or demanded better working conditions.

Olowojebutu added that those who participated in legitimate industrial actions were often blacklisted and their salaries withheld for months.

“In many teaching hospitals, resident doctors are treated like slaves—overworked, underpaid, and subjected to the whims of vindictive supervisors.

“Promotions are politicised. Disciplinary actions are wielded like weapons. And when doctors dare to push back, they are punished with punitive postings or, worse still, summary dismissals.

“This climate of fear and oppression breeds despair,” Olowojebutu said.

Olowojebutu emphasised that the consequence of these systematic abuse is the mass emigration of Nigerian doctors.

He cited data from NMA which showed that over 2,000 doctors leave Nigeria annually.

According to him, the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC) database shows that over 12,000 Nigerian-trained doctors are currently practicing in the UK.

“The scary number continues to rise every month.

“This brain drain is not just a loss for the medical community—it is a death sentence for millions of Nigerians who rely on public hospitals,” he said.

He stressed that it was troubling to note that an entire local government had no resident doctors, adding that emergency response times have worsened and mortality rates increasing.

Olowojebutu urged the government to guarantee job security and respect for rights of doctors, and improved remuneration and working conditions to enhance the health sector.

He emphasised that heads of institutions that victimise doctors should be investigated and sanctioned.

He also called for the establishment of an independent grievance redress system for medical professionals.

Olowojebutu further called for increased budgetary allocation to the health sector and ensure transparent utilisation of funds to boost quality, accessible and efficient healthcare services for citizens. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Yetunde Fatungase and Benson Iziama

Greece Heart Doctors donate facility to Niger community

Ismail Abdulaziz
Jan, Sat, 2025

Health

Greece Heart Doctors donate facility to Niger community

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By Rita Iliya

Heart Doctors from Greece have donated a newly constructed Primary Healthcare Centre to the people of Gusun Village, Kabo Ward in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger.

The project, tagged “Heart Doctors Project 2025”, was facilitated by Dr Mustapha Alheri, former Commissioner of Health in Niger.

Speaking at the commissioning of the project, Mrs Eheni Sotinou, who led the Heart Doctors’ team, commended Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger for his exceptional leadership.

“Since our intervention across the world, Africa, and Nigeria, we have never received a warm reception like the one Governor Bago gave us in Niger,” she said.

Sotinou explained that the Heart Doctors visited Gusun community on Nov. 9, 2024, and were moved to assist after seeing the deplorable state of the facility.

“We came from Greece, we learned from our fathers to assist,” she said.

The Heart Doctors’ team emphasised that they do not discriminate based on religion or tribe.

“We understand that we are all one, and God is one. We try to help people to be balanced in life,” Sotinou said.

In his remarks, Alheri thanked Gov. Bago for his development strides, saying it had attracted investors to the state.

He commended the people for their cooperation and thanked the Heart Doctors for their intervention in Niger in particular and the country at large.

The Secretary of Gurara Local Government council, Sadaiuki Abubakar also thanked the Heart Doctors for the facility and Alheri for facilitating the construction.

The village Head of Kabo, Alhaji Salisu Ahmadu, commended the Heart Doctors for coming to the aid of the community with the health facility.

“The gesture would never be forgotten and would stand the test of time,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that stakeholders, community leaders and residents of Gusun Village attended the commissioning of the project.

The facility, which was constructed and equipped by the Heart Doctors, is expected to provide quality healthcare services to the people of Gusun Village and its environs.(NAN)

Edited by Abdulfatai Beki/Oluwole Sogunle

Japa: Only 6,000 medical consultants still in Nigeria -MDCAN

Lydia Beshel
Jan, Fri, 2025

Health

Japa: Only 6,000 medical consultants still in Nigeria -MDCAN

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Consultants

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) says only 6,000 consultants are left in the country with others seeking greener pastures outside the country.

Its President, Prof. Muhammad Mohammad, said this during the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting in Ilorin.

The meeting was themed, “Policy Making for Quality Healthcare Services: Engaging Policy Makers for Quality Healthcare Delivery”.

Mohammad explained that 6,000 consultants remained as at February 2024, lamenting that data showed that about 1,300 left Nigeria in the last five years.

According to him, the number will continue to dwindle as the retirement age for medical consultants is 60 years.

“About 1,700 consultants are above 55 years of age.

“This means that in the next five years, they are going to leave the services on retirement,” he said.

The MDCAN president emphasised that the number of consultants would continue to reduce, as long as the country produces only one or two per annum.

“So you can see that the replacement cannot keep up with the loss from ‘Japa’ syndrome and from retirement,” he said.

Mohammad commended the government for its efforts toward finding solutions to the challenges.

According to him, the association is hopeful that consultants will be able to serve up to 70 years, while other healthcare workers will continue to serve up to 65 years.

He noted that such a move would ensure that medical and dental consultants who remain in the country continue to give their expertise in the health field.

Mohammad also appealed to the government at all tiers to ensure medical lectures are placed on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), addressing disparities in their emoluments.

Similarly, the Kwara Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, said the theme of the NEC meeting was apt, noting that appropriate policies were critical to assist the government in delivering quality healthcare to citizens.

El-Imam said policies must be targeted toward the right segments, domesticated to the peculiarities of the state or nation and effectively disseminated to the end users.

“All of these contribute towards ensuring that the life and health of the people are safeguarded,” she said.

In his presentation, the Guest Speaker, Dr Amos Magaji, a Lawmaker representing Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency of Kaduna State in the 10th National Assembly, underscored the importance of policymaking in healthcare delivery.

According to him, healthcare is fundamental to life, noting that policies such as the National Health Insurance Authority will ensure Nigerians are captured for healthcare services.

Similarly, Prof. Tanimola Akande, Consultant in Public Health at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), advised doctors to focus on their health and well-being.

He underscored the need for self-care, regular and comprehensive examinations and exercise.

Earlier, Prof. Kazeem Ibrahim, Chairman, Local Organising Committee, MDCAN-NEC meeting, said that innumerable policies have been formulated in the past without significant impact on the health of many vulnerable citizens.

Ibrahim noted that the meeting would proffer solutions to the challenges, as well as the ‘Japa’ syndrome, pushing health workers to migrate from the country due to abysmal working conditions. (NAN)

Edited by Oluwafunke Ishola