12th November, 2010
In a bid to undermine and weaken the resolve of the striking medical doctors in public hospitals in Lagos State, South West Nigeria, the state government has recruited 155 new doctors.
The employment of the new doctors is coming barely four days after the doctors rejected the 75 percent salary increase offered them by the state government.
There are about 1,000 doctors currently on strike and the 155 newly employed personnel seems not to be enough to serve the teeming patients in Lagos hospitals.
The newly recruited doctors have been ordered to resume work immediately to begin palliative work in the various General Hospitals across the state.
The doctors were inducted into the service today by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who urged them to abide by the medical oaths and civil service codes of the state.
According to Idris, the state government ngaged the services of 145 medical officials, among them pharmacists and doctors, as palliative measure to reduce the death toll in public hospitals.
He added that 10 medical consultants had been contracted by the government to adequately provide health care services for the large population of Lagos State.
Idris stated that the recruitment was not in any way a threat to sack the striking doctors but a palliative measure to ensure that patients in public hospitals received adequate care.
“We have not employed new set of doctors to sack the striking ones but it is necessary to do so now. We still welcome the striking doctors for dialogue. We will still consider them if they are willing to work for the state,†he stated.
Reacting, the Medical Guild said they were not moved by the state government employing 155 new doctors, saying that government had done that in the past and it did not work.
Vice Chairman, Medical Guild, Dr. Taofeek Majolagbe said: “we believe government’s action is counter-productive and is tantamount to replacing the striking doctors. It will not help the situation.
“The 155 doctors cannot fill the gap because we are about 1,000 doctors on strike. We are sure the new doctors too need money. Let us go back to the negotiation table. Soon, the 150 doctors will join the strike. They cannot employ experience.
“Government should address the issue at hand. We are not moved. The new doctors should know that one of the codes in the NMA is that we should be our brothers’ keepers.â€
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
