.Ex president of the NMA says government  action ill-advised

Dr. Osahon Enabulele,  the 43 year old Vice President  Commonwealth Medical Association and immediate past president of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA has described the  decision of the President led Federal Government to suspend Residency Training Program (RTP) in Nigeria and sack over 16, 000 Resident doctors and would be Specialist Medical doctors and dentists,  as a most “unstatesmanly, unsustainable and ill-advised approach” towards the resolution of the challenges in the health sector.

He therefore called on the  government to immediately rescind the decision and enter into dialogue with the striking doctors to resolve whatever dispute may exist between them.  

According to him, the suspension of the RTP will not only lead to worsening of Nigeria health indices, but massive brain drain as the medical personnel are likely to migrate to climes with better working conditions.

Dr. Osahon Enabulele

Dr.Enabule said in a preliminary statement in reaction to the suspension of the RTP by the federal government on Thursday that the action is not only unproductive but capable of further worsening the crisis and the challenges in the health sector.

He lamented that the action showed that Federal Government and most Nigerian political office holders  have not learnt that such draconian option never succeeds as it was reflected when it was employed by the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari in 1985 or dismissal of 774 doctors by the Babatunde Raji Fashola-led Lagos state government in 2012. 

“I am most appalled by the use of an extreme, unwarranted and retrogressive measure by the present federal government, especially at this time of public health emergency when members of the Nigerian Medical Association across the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory are visibly in the field contributing their quota towards the containment of the Ebola virus disease outbreak, irrespective of the non-provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and a miserable hazard allowance of N5, 000:00k per month,” said the former NMA President.

“The negative consequences of this government decision are unimaginable.  For one the current poor health indices of Nigeria will further nose dive, especially on account of the immense dearth of skilled medical manpower in Nigeria.  Currently, Nigeria has an abysmal doctor-patient population ratio of 1; 6,300. With this action of government the ratio will further decline to about 1:15, 500.

“Nigeria has less than 3,000 Specialist Medical and Dental practitioners (Consultants) providing specialist medical and dental care to over 170million Nigerians. There are lots of Nigerian trained medical specialists constantly migrating to countries with better work conditions/conditions of service and enabling environment.  As at the end of 2013 there were over 4,000 Nigerian trained Specialist medical/dental practitioners in Britain alone and many more in the United States of America.

“With this action of government there is bound to be worsening of the brain drain phenomenon with increased migration of doctors and specialist medical/dental practitioners abroad.  This will certainly worsen the health human resource crisis in Nigeria.  Surely, it will deprive Nigeria of the required skilled medical/dental manpower needed to handle the increasingly complex medical/dental conditions of the 21st century. 

“Similarly, the morbidity and mortality indices are sure to worsen on account of this shocking and highly despicable action of government.
The deficit in health human resource caused by the intense brain drain that followed the reckless proscription of NMA and NARD by the General Muhammadu Buhari regime in 1985 is yet to be surmounted.  This action of government will certainly worsen the brain drain phenomenon, widen the gap in health human resource and further weaken Nigeria’s fragile health system.

“With this action of government there is bound to be worsening of the brain drain phenomenon with increased migration of doctors and specialist medical/dental practitioners abroad.  This will certainly worsen the health human resource crisis in Nigeria.  Surely, it will deprive Nigeria of the required skilled medical/dental manpower needed to handle the increasingly complex medical/dental conditions of the 21st century “—Osahon Enabulele

“I want to therefore call on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to listen to the voices of reason, quickly reflect on his decision, and reverse the Federal Government’s decision to suspend RTP in Nigeria and sack over 16, 000 Nigeria doctors.

“There is still room for constructive dialogue and amicable resolution of the current dispute between the Federal Government and Nigerian doctors.  I therefore sincerely and passionately call on the President to draw back on his extreme action and initiate a more amicable and statesmanly resolution of the disputes and challenges in the Health sector.  It should not be in his time that Nigeria witnessed a free fall in her health indices. 

“The situation certainly is still rescuable and I expect President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to reverse the suspension of Residency Training Program in Nigeria. 

“I also expect the President to reverse the sack of over 16, 000 Resident doctors before the consequential damage to Nigeria’s health sector becomes irreversible,” said Enabule.