Lagos doctors go for recall letters

... As Federal doctors resume work today

Photo:

Sun News Publishing

By:

AZOMA CHIKWE

Date:

Mon, 06/04/2012

Sacked Lagos State doctors will today go for their recall letters just as the federal doctors return to work as directed by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) national executive council after an Emergency Delegates Meetings (EDM) of the association at the weekend.

Briefing newsmen yesterday, National President of the association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele said the NMA had directed the Medical Guild to resume work today but not without recall letters. Enabulele said for legal implications and documentation, if a worker was dismissed with a sack letter, the same worker would be reinstated with a recall letter.

“Once the doctors get their recall letters, they will resume immediately. If they receive it today, they will resume today, if they receive it tomorrow, they will resume tomorrow,” he said.“Can a worker go to a place of work without a letter of authority to resume; they need a letter of authority to start work.

“There is no confusion over date of resumption, if government will make the letters of resumption available today, Lagos doctors will resume work today. “We have asked Lagos doctors to resume, but the Medical Guild are waiting for letters of recall, but federal doctors will resume immediately.”

On the issue of giving Lagos State two weeks to begin negotiations failure to which the NMA will issue an ultimatum, Enabulele expressed optimism that Lagos State would respond immediately to the positive moves of the NMA. “I do not want to believe that Lagos State Government will wait for two weeks to begin negotiations. Any sensitive government will not wait for two weeks,” he said.

Explaining further why the government should speedily give them their letters of recall, the NMA president said before the sack of the 788 doctors, the doctor to patient ratio was 1 to 14, 000, and after the sack it went down to 1 to 50, 000 doctors in Lagos State. “The task is for government to do the needful. With all the resources at the disposal of Lagos State, they can roll out 788 recall letters speedily.”

He however warned that on no account should any doctor that took part in the protest be victimised or intimidated. Meanwhile, when contacted, Lagos State Government said the recall letters were ready for collection as from today.

In a telephone interview, the Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. David Oke, said the decision to give out the recall letters was decided upon after a meeting by government officials last Friday.

He said in LASUTH alone, no less than 400 letters were ready for collection. Oke said the letters were for all cadres of medical doctors including, house officers, medical officers, resident doctors, consultant and senior consultants as well as honorary consultants whose honorary consultancy were terminated during the period. On the content of the letter, he said the letter was only to withdraw the sack letter and acknowledge that it had been withdrawn.

Asked if there were conditions attached in the recall letter, he said: “There are no conditions attached.” On the already employed locum doctors, he said: “The doctors are still under the employment of the Lagos State Government. For now, I am not sure they will be asked to go. The government.

SOURCE: The Sun, 4 June 2012. http://sunnewsonline.com/