Medical doctors in Lagos on Monday took to the streets in protest against the sack of their over 16,000 striking colleagues by the Federal Government.
The resident doctors, clad in their white overall brandished placards carrying various inscriptions including “Poor Chukwu you are a disgrace”, “Sack Boko Haram Not Doctors”, “Resident Doctors Have Been Volunteering For Ebola Care”, “Death Sentence for Nigerians!”, “Sack Of 16,000 Resident Doctors: Sack Ebola Not Doctors”.
The protesters were led by the Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Tope Ojo.
The Federal Government had announced last week the sack of the over 16,000 resident doctors in the Federal Hospitals.
At the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi- Araba, where he addressed journalists, Ojo said with the action of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government, it was obvious that the country was witnessing the death of its health sector.
He said the striking doctors have vowed not to renege on their stand to continue with their strike despite threats posed to them by the government.
He also said the doctors have resolved that they would continue with the strike until they are recalled and their demands are met. He said the affected doctors would defend their profession but did not state if they would be heading to court.
Government is planning to casualise doctors that would be employed to replace the sacked ones in the footstep of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state during the strike by doctors in the state, Ojo said.
He demanded for the sack of Health Minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu for allegedly misleading Jonathan to sack the doctors.
