THE Federal Government on Monday feigned ignorance as a firm concluded arrangement to recruit Nigerian doctors for Saudi Arabia. The firm, Meed Consultants, is recruiting doctors in different specialities under a programme tagged, ‘Saudi Ministry of Health Doctors Recruitment August 2021.”

The government-licensed recruiting agency based in Abuja has fixed Tuesday (today) as interview date for doctors who registered for recruitment on its website. This is coming at a time resident doctors under the aegis of Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors are currently on strike.

Our correspondent reported that flyers announcing the recruitment had been trending on social media, especially WhatsApp platforms. But when contacted on the matter on Monday, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, denied knowledge of the exercise. He directed our correspondent to the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire. According to Ngige, the Health minister is in charge of doctors.

“I am not aware of that. You can please contact the Minister of Health. His ministry is in charge of doctors,” the minister stressed. Ehanire, however, did not take the calls made to his known telephone line.

He had also yet to respond to the text message sent to him on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

However, in his reaction, NARD President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, told The PUNCH doctors were at liberty to do whatever they wanted to do since government had failed to fulfill its promises. He said there was no benefit for any doctor still practising in Nigeria, saying those who were staying back were only being patriotic.

Okhuaihesuyi said, “Everybody is free to do whatever he/she wants. The government has not fulfilled its promises to the health sector. Those who stay behind are only doing so because of patriotism, not as if there is any benefit or something.”

Efforts made by our correspondent to reach the firm on the telephone line on its website did not yield result as the line did not connect. An enquiry posted on the website has also not been replied to.

According to the interview invitation, specialties that will be interviewed for employment include anaesthesia, ICU, paediatrics surgery, family medicine (consultants only), obstetrics and gynaecology, ENT, Emergency medicine, all sub-specialties (surgery), all sub-specialties (internal medicine), orthopaedic surgery, Ophthalmology, Radiology as well as Haematology and Histopathology.

The invitation also listed requirements such as originals and photocopies of all credentials; updated CV with chronologically detailed summary of experience, two passport-sized photographs and a valid form of identification. The interview is scheduled to hold at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Sheraton Hotels, Abuja.

Some doctors, who did not want their names in print, told our correspondent it was not the first time the firm would be recruiting for Saudi authorities. One of them said the firm conducted a similar interview in 2018 for medical consultants. He said, “This is not the first time they are organising such recruitment. This was also done in 2018. They held one in Lagos and another in Abuja.

“Lots of doctors are coming out tomorrow (today). It is not about being an Islamic country; it is about conditions of service. As a Christian, if it means I have to go to an Islamic country to get better conditions of service, then I will go.”

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, says doctors who feel they want to relocate in search of greener pastures are free to do so as the nation has enough medical personnel

"It might sound selfish, but we can't all be specialists. We can't.Some will be politicians.The man who sews my gown is a doctor. He makes the best gown. And some will be specialists, some will be GPs, some will be farmers."

Maxymilliano:
This suggests that Nigeria doesn't deserve to have such brains.

I therefore beseech on you brethren If you can leave this country to a better place, please leave.

I's a sincere advise

FarahAideed:
Most Federal doctors have applied as we speak

Rossinkipp:


You're very stupid. If everybody leaves, who will build the country or you will continue your generation in Saudi Arabia?

When they start persecuting and enslaving you there you will call on Nigerian govt to evacuate your dumbasses.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO5wcu5TPMo

jimyjames:

This country doesn't need to be built but destroyed completely let us all go our separate ways we don't belong together as a country

Lamasta:
They should go where they will be better treated as a professional

Rossinkipp:


Are women allowed to go out alone and drive cars there now?

Do they still amputate and behead people for the tiniest infractions?

Last time I checked the Saudi king had ordered the killing of a Saudi journalist inside their Turkish embassy, for writing critical articles.

Lamasta:


Complicated tho but I think some reforms are being made to give women some rights....

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/world/middleeast/saudi-driving-ban-anniversary.amp.html

Rossinkipp:


Abeg SHUT UP THERE.. Separate ways to where?

Where do you belong?

Who told you you were Igbo or Hausa or Yoruba?

Was it not white colonialists?

Dumbos. Before the colonialists came we identified with our clan and ancestry, not with our language spoken. There was nothing like ''Igbo people''. They were never united as an ''ethnicity''. Nether were Yorubas or Hausas or anyone else.

So any tribal republic you are retreating to now is colonial bullcrap, and you will have the same problems you have in Nigeria, and most likely WORSE. Because then, you will become easy meat for the likes of France who just love to bully little, unviable African banana republics like the ones you will become.

At least today, as Nigeria, if you sneeze the world hears.

When you become the next Burkina Faso or South Sudan, you will sneeze and only the sand will hear.

Rubbish.

blizard44:
Chai .

---

But.
Better for them anyway.

Everything is rigged against the commoner here in the country.

Payment ought be the least of a doctor's problem.

Rossinkipp:


There is nowhere on earth that 'reforms' of some sort are not being carried out, to provide 'eye service' to critics.

But fundamentally nothing much changes.