Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)  yesterday described the federal government’s announcement that it has suspended residency training in federal hospitals and the sack of over 16,000 specialists in training, as an attempt to force doctors to return to work.

At a press briefing in Kano, the state NMA Chairman, Dr. Sharfuddeen Mashi, said a circular was issued by the federal government requesting that medical officers and consultants should report to work on the 18/8/2014 or face sanctions.

“By this singular action, the government has worsened the already poor health indices of the medical profession.  Resident doctors constitute the backbone of healthcare delivery in the country and they constitute 70-80 per cent of doctors working in federal hospitals. The NMA Kano held an expanded state executive council meeting and the meeting has condemned in totality this reprehensive act and calls on the federal government to reverse the decision immediately. None of our members will sign or accept any sack letter and the NMA strike continues. No member will be intimidated to return to work,” he said.

Also in Kaduna, Chairman of the state chapter of NMA, Dr. Mohammed Sani Ibrahim, said sack of resident doctors will have adverse effect on the masses, who according to him cannot afford treatment abroad.

He said no teaching hospital or Federal Medical Centre can function without resident doctors, who he noted are specialists in training who support all the activities of consultants. 

“Medical officers and consultants alone cannot provide specialist care. It is the poor masses who cannot afford to access health care abroad who will suffer. Mass sack of doctors was done during military era and it failed. We are in a democratic era now and we cannot explain why government is taking such a decision,” he said.

He said prior to the sack, the country was experiencing a ratio of one doctor to 6,300 patients, adding “but with the sack now, it will mean one doctor to 15,500 patients”.

He maintained that reinstatement of the sacked doctors is the only pre-condition for the association to have further discussion with the federal government.