The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has expressed displeasure over the way and manner Nigerian Doctors are subjected to media trial without reporting the issues to the appropriate authority saddled with the responsibility of disciplining erring Medical Doctors, which is the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council (NMDC). They also urged government to pay keen attention to the periodic constitution of the leaderhip of the council, adding that the plan to stop the funding of the council will be counter productive in addressing the myriads of challenges confronting the medical profession in the country.
This position was made known by the National President of the association Dr Uche Rowland Ojinma in Jos, while addressing Journalists to mark the 2023 Physicians Week. State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Plateau State chapter, Dr William Bapigaan Audu while speaking on behalf of the National President said “The Nigerian Medical Association hereby express her displeasure at the recent media trial of some healthcare workers by the Minister of Women Affairs. We believe that such behavior is infra dig for one that occupies such a lofty office.”
He added that “The Nigerian Medical Association is watching closely all processes and proceedings as it concerns the case in the FCT and shall respond appropriately. We also use this opportunity to express our condolences to the relatives of the deceased and call on our security agencies to do their job by fishing out the culprits responsible for her death. It is high time our security agencies ended this menace of “one chance” and most of the insecurity problems including kidnapping for ransom.”
He lamented that the menace of kidnap of doctors/dentists and their relatives have become a daily event to the point of desensitization, stressing that government and fellow citizens are no longer moved by the plight of Doctors because all that is seen is lip service.
“We and our relatives have lost our fundamental right of freedom of movement and our government and society are just moving on. At this juncture, we wish to thank God for all our colleagues that were abducted but lived to tell the story. We pray for their employers to provide them necessary physical and mental health support to completely overcome the medical and psychologic sequelae.”
“Let me also remind the government of Cross River state that we are still awaiting the return of Prof. Ekanem Philip Ephraim. To Abia state government, we are still waiting for information on the whereabouts of Prof. U.U. Iweha. We will not stop asking. Kidnap and insecurity, I must tell you are now major causes of medical brain drain and we call for action not rhetoric.” they added.
Nigeria Star News 