₦airaland Forum

fsb: This is a laudable idea but my question is why can't she be taken to another hospital where the surgery can be done at a much cheaper rate? There are general hospitals that charge way less than what UCH is charging with excellent surgeons as well...

Considering the size of her goitre, she should get the surgery done in a teaching hospital that has other specialist available. She needs very experienced anaesthesiologist to put her to sleep as the anatomy of her airways would have been altered by the longstanding goitre, she needs ENT surgeons on standby in case the goitre has caused softening of her windpipe and they are unable to remove her breathing tube at the end of surgery. Just to be on the safe side she needs to have ICU services available on standby for her recovery period and she may need urgent Thyroid hormone estimates in her recovery period and all these are more likely to be available in a teaching hospital than anywhere else.

Nigerians do not believe in Nigerians wether in Medicine, engineering, architecture we would rather pay a Lebanese laborer 500,000 for a job a than pay a Nigerian professional 50,000 but yet we expect the Nigerian to give great services. To see an ENT surgeon privately in the UK is £350 while it cost about NN20000 to see one in Nigeria.
Remember if you pay peanuts you get monkeys and better soup na money kill am.
I always say the problem with Health services and Education in Nigeria is the way they were introduced into this country. The missionaries wanted converts so they gave these services free and till date the average Nigerian still expects them to be free or cheap or subsidized. Meanwhile where theses people came from all services are paid for either through taxation, insurance or direct fees.
When I was to deliver last year many people came advising me to go abroad for delivery since I was a high risk patient. I chose to stay back and paid an arm and a leg for a CS here in lagos and I am more than happy with the service I got.

I craved raw cabbage leaves. I would just tear them off the cabbage ball and eat. I also loved native chalk. I vomited everything i ate including water and lost 7kg in the first trimester.

This child was obniously born in a medical facility hence the cord clamp, the mother of this baby may be in hospital right now crying for her missing baby. For all we know someone in the hospital could have stollen this baby and handed him over to a ritualist who needed a day old baby. A woman who plans to throw away a baby doesnt normally go to a hospital and pay hospital bills for delivery.Any thing could have happened so dont jump to conclusions.

CHARLES OKAH

November 19, 2012

Charles T. Okah
Single Cell Block
Kuje Prison
Abuja, Nigeria.

His Eminence
Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie
c/o Catholic Church Secretariat
Lagos, Nigeria.

Your Eminence:

October 1 2010 Bomb Blast Setup and Government Double Standard

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I hope this letter meets you well. The reasons I choose to direct this letter to you are that I am a Catholic and you are an old boy of my alma mater, St. Gregory’s College, Lagos.

I write from Kuje Prison Abuja where two other Catholics and I have been languishing in solitary confinement for 2 years on trumped-up charges relating to the October 1, 2010 bomb attack claimed by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

My name is Charles Tonbra Okah, aka Billy Bones. On October 16, 2010 my residence in Apapa GRA was invaded by operatives of the State Security Services on the warrant that I was the suspected spokesman for MEND using the pseudonym “Jomo Gbomo.” My eldest son, visiting from the United States where he attends the University of Kansas (KU) was also arrested.

At the SSS Headquarters Abuja where we were flown to blindfolded with our legs and hands bound, my ‘cooperation’ was solicited for something completely different to my surprise. My captors threw me a lifeline; offering me our freedom and a lucrative contract in exchange for false testimony against my younger brother Henry, who is resident in South Africa. I was to write a false statement claiming to have been told by Henry about the bomb plot and naming the following persons as his conspirators: Former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, Chief Timipre Sylva, and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. I bluntly refused.

To maintain pressure on me, I was told that my son would be implicated in the bomb matter, my containers of legitimate imports then at the Tin Can Port would be impounded and my business destroyed. I still did not budge, tossing their lifeline back with royal disdain.

When they realized I was not going to connive in their scheme, they became formal and reverted to the main reason for my arrest. I was asked for the MEND password which I told them I did not know. They bound me in a chair, took off my trousers and clamped a device to my penis. My legs were then put inside a basin of water. The device when turned on passed a high voltage of electricity to my body and I lost consciousness. This was on Monday October 18 at about 6pm. When I regained consciousness, I discovered I was at the National Hospital emergency room. I remember the doctors asking why I had trauma marks on my chest where the SSS doctor performed Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). The SSS operatives were evasive in answering questions at the hospital. That night I was released and taken to rest for the night at the State House Clinic. That was the last time a torture was carried out on me.

My son was eventually released after Mr. Femi Falana visited in the company of my wife after a month of being denied access to a lawyer. However, my containers have been impounded up to date and my bank account frozen.

The SSS stopped asking about the MEND password after Jomo Gbomo made another statement while I was in their custody but refused to still let me go because I did not cooperate earlier with them. Meanwhile in the ongoing trial in South Africa, Henry is accused of being the same Jomo Gbomo by the same people who say I am JG.

Double Standard in Kuje Prison:

On December 24, 2010 we were remanded in Kuje prison as a result of our application to be removed from the SSS detention cell. Unknown to us, the SSS passed instructions from “above” to the prison authorities to carry out “special treatment” in order to stampede us into a trial towards conviction. For 2 years we have been locked up in solitary confinement, are not allowed to exercise or get sunlight outside and are forced to sleep on the floor when bunk beds are available. Even a court order by Justice Gabriel Kolawole to the prison for a change in our confinement style was ignored after it was superseded by an ‘order from above.”

In late 2011, while locked up inside our cell block, prison officials clothed in protective apparel, face masks and gloves carried out fumigation without opening us to wait outside. Our protests fell on deaf ears and by the time they were finished we were in distress. The Youth Corper doctor on call tried her best within her limits to the emergency she was confronted with. The poisonous gas and barbaric action reminiscent of the Nazi concentration camp infamous gas chambers, eventually led to the death of one Francis Osuwo, aka Gboko, also roped into this case by the SSS and a man I have never met before. Interestingly, the four persons in detention were strangers to each other except for one Obi Nwabueze who is a family friend and close associate of Henry.

The fumigant whose chemical constituent were never relayed to us have affected my neurological system and I have been on a daily prescription of strong neurological medication prescribed by a neurologist of the National Hospital, Professor Bwala.

While the Boko Haram suspects at Kuje prison are allowed to worship in the prison mosque, we have never set foot in the prison chapel. They are also enjoying privileges such as cable television, radio, liberty to move within the prison walls, bunk beds to sleep on and phone calls to their families. We are denied all of the above.
When I asked the current Controller of FCT Command the reason for the disparity, he said “the fear of Boko Haram is the beginning of wisdom.” He further said the Moslem community was concerned about their welfare in custody.

Double Standard in the Court:

Even in the Courts where justice is supposed to be blind, the double standard is glaring. While Senator Ndume, accused of being a financier to Boko Haram was given bail by the same Judge presiding over our case, we have been denied bail.

I understand that this Senator was permitted by the same court to travel on his religious obligation to Mecca for the lesser Hajj while we are refused from attending mass in a chapel less than 50 meters from our cell block.

The court is willing to permit the Senator approval to travel abroad for his medical check if he can provide proof that such check up is not done locally. Meanwhile, I have been denied my application to go on a compulsory checkup which in my case is mandatory for a kidney donor, having donated my left kidney to my mother 30 years ago.

Our cases have been adjourned repeatedly for cruelly long durations. The last time I appeared in court was March 2012 and the next adjourned date is January 31. 2013, that is if that date will not be shifted again under a flimsy excuse.

All we ask is for a free and fair justice from an independent Judiciary that should release us instead of holding us as scapegoats over an obvious power show. While this government continues holding us hostage, our families are becoming destitute.

Our rights to freely worship as Catholics is being infringed by the state who have more respect for Islam when all religions should be treated equally.

Double Standards in the Polity:

The National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) was quoted as saying that the government of President Goodluck Jonathan has the phone numbers of suspected Boko Haram sponsors. Later the Inspector General of Police said certain individuals had been put on a “watch list” as suspected Boko Haram sponsors.

Now the big question is why did the government not simply have our phone numbers and put us also on its ‘watch list” while we move about freely? They did not hesitate to arrest us, clamp us on trumped-up charges and detain us on flimsy excuses. They did not merely talk, they took action even in South Africa where my brother was arrested since 2010. Is there a better word to describe this other than hypocrisy?

The same government eager to negotiate with Boko Haram who claimed responsibility for over 100 attacks where Catholics have suffered the brunt, have refused to negotiate with MEND and continue to delude themselves that all is well.

Why would this government expect Boko Haram to unmask it leaders and negotiate when they can see that perceived leaders and supporters of MEND are being persecuted and jailed?

I welcome a fact-finding visit from the Church in the company of credible Human Rights groups to verify our allegations.

On the two occasions Kuje Prison was visited by the Bishop of Abuja during the Christmas of 2010 and 2011, he was surreptitiously steered away from where were we are held hostage and I believe he has no idea of what is going in inside Kuje prison.

Our prayers is that leaders of our Churches will be more sensitive and proactive in politics of the land that touches the lifes of their followers and not leave delicate issues solely in the hands of corrupt and selfish politicians, and majority of the population rid of a “Potiphar” mentality who believe lies when told by SSS.

May God save our beloved country.

Yours Sincerely,

Charles T. Okah

CC: Pope Benedict, Vatican, Rome
Catholic Bishop of Abuja Diocese, Abuja FCT


“I…was…sick…and in prison, and you visited me.”
-Mathew 25. 35, 36

My hubby isn't doing badly at all, our only kids after more than 10 years of marriage are 6 months old. He has changed diapers (gotten sprayed with wee wee in the process), given bathes, wakes up almost every night to give someone the bottle and has learnt to dance azonto by force because it amuses the kids. Meanwhile this is a man whose idea of cooking is to make indomie noodles and who doesnt even know how to use the microwave or the washing machine. He lives by the adage why bark when you have a dog and i am his puppy. He is a strong contender for the crown of undomesticated King but yet when it comes to the kids nothing is too much. I believe it will last because he has always bent backwards where my neices and nephews are concerned. While we were waiting for these two to make their grand arrival he suffered many sleepovers and endured many hours of babysitting with a smile.

I am 29 weeks gone with a twin pregnancy after 10 years of marriage,several rounds of Ivf , myomectomy for fibroids in 2010, then a miscarriage at 10 weeks in 2011. So far this pregnancy has been interesting. I spent the first 4 months puking, even water made me vomit. It was not until I started vomiting blood that I agreed to start taking drugs for the vomiting. Only then did I feel human. By 24 weeks heart burn took over, sleep which used to be my hobby is now rationed. They move around like something else and sometimes assume some positions which send me crazy, like feet on my bladder so any time they kick I need to pee. But generally I have been healthy my BP remains good, no protein or sugars in my urine and feet swell very slightly. This usually reduces when I rest. The only cravings I ever had were for carrots and cabbage leaves. I went off coke, ice cream and cookies. At my 28 wwk antenatal I weighed the same as I did in December, but my stomach is soo big. One baby measured at 28 weeks while the other was at 31weeks which is even ahead. My sisters are annoyed that I haven't gotten fatter and my nose and lips have not doubled, they think it's unfair. I pray it continues like this till they get to term 37 weeks. Ive been told categorically that I'm having a CS and if that is safest for babies it is the best for me.

Monday is just 2 days away, and I tell you that by this time on Monday there will still be no clinics running, no theaters operating, and the emergency rooms will still not be fulnctional in Lagos State hospitals the reason being that legally the doctors are not employees of Lagos state as we speak. I have a sack letter in my file, without a letter stating otherwise I remain sacked.
On Monday some doctors will go to the hospital to find out what is going on, me I will remain in my house, shebi they used couriers to bring sack letters to doctors houses let them send the same with the rescindment letters. Doctors may not be learned fellows like our governor but neither are we illiterate casual laborers that you sack today and recall tomorrow. As I have said the effects of this sack on the health sector are going to linger for a long time. Tinubu coming on air and making the right propaganda Josie has not sorted out anything.

Sorry oh but which problem has been resolved! Tinubu has made some announcement with Fashola standing at his back. I am in my house cos I received a personal letter sacking me and until I receive a letter contrary to that , with a copy in my file, I remain sacked. I don't understand what they mean by suspending the sack, you either rescind those sack letters, no body will go back to work under those vague circumstances.

Eko Ile: If you like, go back to work, and if you no like, don't go. That's your own wahala. Just don't cry like a baby if den sack you permanently

Boo hoo like I have been crying since we were issued the sack letters. I know I will be cussed out for saying so but personally I am annoyed that Tinubu came to meddle as usual. I was actually enjoying the unpaid vacation. Last year I worked for at least 3 weeks of my annual leave last year because the unit was short staffed, it was only when I travelled out of the country I could relax because nobody could reach me . This period of sack has been the closest thing I have had to a full leave in some years where I can sit in my house ignore phone calls if I dont know the number and generally think of myself and my life. Without worrying about one patient or the other.

Nobody should expect the doctors to go back to work like say tomorrow, reason there is no reason for them to trust Tinubu coming on air and saying that the sack has been SUSPENDED. What does it mean to suspend a sack? Tinubu was one of those that signed the previous agreement that was later denied by the government and the doctors know thathe is also one of the chief advocates of the strike, so why should they trust any thing that comes out of his mouth..I am one of the doctors and since I was given a physical sack letter by my employers, I will not go back to work if I don't get another letter stating that the old letter is not valid or has been rescinded. Or do you think a Prof of surgery or medicine who was begged in the first place to come to LASUTH when they needed known names to get accreditation to set up the medical school , will just get up and go to work tomorrow because Tinubu came on air and made some announcement. The problem is far from over and the repercussions will linger for a long time.

No I haven not re applied, I can only speak for myself. Those that were not sacked or were recalled, how many are running clinics, they are all at home with me. Dont worry none of the sacked doctors will come and beg you for money. Anyway we are all EEdiots, murdered, useless , greedy fellows, so you are better off without us.

I know this is an old post, but please check your facts before posting. The CMD of universityof Calabar teaching hospital is Dr Thomas Agan, a gynecologist not an optometrist. He graduated from university of Portharcourt medical school in 1990.

@alphablondy this is the reason that I put up the thread. These young doctors are being taught lesson101 in survival that nobody cares for their welfare in this country and they will only get a response from authorities if they do something drastic. My advice to them is finish your house job and get the he'll out of this system. The doctors turned clothes designers and cake makers are better off than any working for the Nigerian public health system.

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2012/05/23/interns-at-military-hospitals-in-lagos-protest-non-payment-of-salaries

Interns at military hospitals in Lagos protest non payment of salaries
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Channels TelevisionMinistry Of Defence
As the strike by doctors in Lagos state continues it is yet another tale from the health sector, with medical doctors serving as interns in different military hospitals across the state protested the non-payment of salaries by the Ministry of Defence for nine months.

About 50 of the doctors on internship with the Ministry held a peaceful protest in front of the corporate headquarters of Channels Television in Isheri north, Lagos to voice their displeasure.

They alleged that all efforts to get their salaries from the ministry have been futile and they called for the government’s intervention.

The defence ministry however asked the aggrieved doctors to be patient as efforts are being made to pay them


See how medical personnel are treated in Nigeria when they try and dialogue! I haven't seen much condemnation from the public or you think it theses doctors and pharmacist should shut up since it's a humanitarian job. These medical personnel who have not been paid would be expected to be caring and nice to patients who come to the hospitals, when they are thinking of what to eat or how to transport themselves or how to pay rent. 9 months.
In the 80s and early 90s the military used to have specialist in nearly every field both in and out of uniform and the average soldier got treatment free. Now they are constantly advertising for consultants and nobody is applying because in medical circles everyone knows their conditions of service are poor. Soon even house officers will run away from these places.
I hope that will not be the story of Lagos state health services one day.

PeterKbaba: Igbo racist... is your state anywere close to the lagos state's health facilities.. even when your population is as low as 6 million and collecting the highest allocation in nigeria.. Lagos alone as a population of 20 million.

Sorry I am not Igbo, so you are insulting Igbo people for nothing and making it so obvious you are a tribalist yourself.

Let me speak for myself. Fashola has done his worst , he took away his fish not my fishing net , so I can always fish somewhere else. Unfortunately, the truth is very bitter for people to swallow, presently in Nigeria the number of doctors especially experienced hands is rather low so there is always a greater demand for them it is just that for now Lagos is still the economic capital of Nigeria so a great number of people want to remain here (not just in medicine). When backs are pushed against the wall people will slowly start moving out to other states wether in Federal or state instituitions. And a time will come when the same Lagos that is doing shakara now will start offering doctors special incentives to work in It's hospitals.

naturalwaves: @Ziga,Y was he then comparing them 2 docs in d UK.Moreover,wat wil b d content f d said agreement if not beta pay packages e.t.c.Although,it's not a gud thing 2 make promises witout fulfilling them,d best approach 2 such issues is not by endagering d lives of helpless patients.D govt needs 2 be beta and d docs need 2 be more beta.D last tym a fam.member was at LASUTH,I had 2 call a friend who is a doc ova there b4 she kuld be attended 2.Attendance wz based on connection.Can U imagine! I av just one prayer 4 U.I PRAY U WON'T AV A CAUSE 2 VISIT LASUTH.Did I hear u say Amen?

I used to work in LASUTH so let me reply to your statement that u need to know someone to be seen! When you have over a hundred new patients showing up each week and just a handful of doctors to attend to them, you definitely will have a long waiting list. However one of the few perks of being a doc or medical person is you can call in a favor ie ask a collegues to help you see someone knowing that one day you too will need help. Before the strike our waiting list was up to nov 2012 and that is because each week we see about 30 to 50 new patients and about 200 old patients. In between we still see emergencies,operate and take care of patients on the ward and since it is a teaching hospital, give lec true to medical students and find time for practical teaching sessions.. The government wants 1 person to do the job of 5 and wants the best from those people. The truth Is that for me to fully examine a patient as a specialist I will need at least 30 minutes per patient. Multiply that by 30 and you will see that no patient is getting that kind of attention. Nowadays everybody wants to come to LASUTH even for malaria. Unfortunately doctors are running away. Residents only come to LASUTH if they cannot get into other teaching hospitals and even those that do come in. Of every 5 that take up an appointment 3 leave within a year. Leaving the remaining doctors even more overworked
I don't do any PP at present but if today a doctor calls me to attend to his family member , I will do so! Any other person I will direct them to a hospital government or private.

naturalwaves: @Ziga,Y was he then comparing them 2 docs in d UK.Moreover,wat wil b d content f d said agreement if not beta pay packages e.t.c.Although,it's not a gud thing 2 make promises witout fulfilling them,d best approach 2 such issues is not by endagering d lives of helpless patients.D govt needs 2 be beta and d docs need 2 be more beta.D last tym a fam.member was at LASUTH,I had 2 call a friend who is a doc ova there b4 she kuld be attended 2.Attendance wz based on connection.Can U imagine! I av just one prayer 4 U.I PRAY U WON'T AV A CAUSE 2 VISIT LASUTH.Did I hear u say Amen?

I used to work in LASUTH so let me reply to your statement that u need to know someone to be seen! When you have over a hundred new patients showing up each week and just a handful of doctors to attend to them, you definitely will have a long waiting list. However one of the few perks of being a doc or medical person is you can call in a favor ie ask a collegues to help you see someone knowing that one day you too will need help. Before the strike our waiting list was up to nov 2012 and that is because each week we see about 70 to a hundred new patients and about 200 old patients. In between we still see emergencies,operate and take care of patients on the ward. The government wants 1 person to do the job of 5 and wants the best from those people. The truth

Greedy doctors in the UK are also voting wether to go on strike or not

Please google doctors strike and see that doctors in the Uk are voting wether or not to go on industrial action.

The doctors salary is in two parts, one is the regular civil service salary commensurate with his grade level ie a doctor on grade level 12 step 1 has the same basic salary, rent, leave allowance, transport allowance as an accountant on grade level 12 step 1. Then in addition he is paid call duty, hazard allowance and if in a teaching hospital teaching allowance. These are actually where their salaries deviate from other civil servants salaries.
The difference with being on call 24/7 and working shifts is that when on call you come to work and do the usual 8 hour shift most workers do and then after what is considered close of work you hang around the hospital till the next day. So after the regular clinics or theatre sessions are over the doctors on call are the ones who are called if a patient on admission suddenly collapses, gives IV drugs which may be every 6 hours.or 4 hours depending on the patient, attends to emergencies who could not tailor their sickness to 8am-4 pm. takes deliveries of those women deliver at 1 am or who suddenly require an emergency CS at 3am. For the average young doctor it doesnt matter if you did not sleep a wink all night you are expected to show up at 8 o'clock the next morning and work through till 4 pm. No excuses and if you are on call the next day you continue till your call is over.
For the locum doctors you work for fixed number of hours a day collect your money and go. If you are on the 4 pm to 6 pm shift there are usually no clinics . All you do is what a doctor on call would have done nothing more.
I am a surgeon so most of my experience is with surgery. The surgical house officer or resident is the same doctor that runs clinics, sees surgical patients in the Emergency room and then still has to make out time to attend to those on the wards. He also is the same doctor that goes to theatre with his consultant to act as an assistant. This is world wide not just in Nigeria. Contrast this to nurses who are usually on shift duty. The nurse in the theatre works an 8 hour shift in theatre and goes home. No clinic , no ward , no emergent room. The nurse in A & E works only in A& E no theatre, no wards etc. They are roosters to do one shift a day and when they do nights they have days off. This is the standard any where in the world. Same applies to other paramededical staff.
As I said I personally would encourage any doctor who isn't yet doing a residency ie post graduate course or isn't a consultant to grab this opportunity and chop government money. This locus shift thing is heaven compared to the way one would normally have to work for half that pay.
As for the senior doctors, consultants 7k per 4 hours won't attract anybody. They are so few that the laws of demand and supply set in. To see a neurologist nowadays in Lagos the average you pay is N25 k per visit. My gynecologist also takes 25 k per visit and his hospital waiting room is never empty. Cos you get what you pay for good service. A Urologist will charge about 30 to 45 k to see you privately. Once you see any doctor charging less than 5k as consultation privately you can be sure he is not yet a consultant.

[quote author=ekt_bear]Let's say that the doctors in LASG employ work 50 hours per week, on average. Someone will no doubt correct this figure if it is too high or too low.

The average junior doctor in Lagos works nothing less than 100 hours a week. That is if they have back up in their unit. Some are on duty 24x 7 for weeks depending on the unit they are in. That is168 hours per week. So do your maths.
And this is definitely a better deal for any young doctor for short term. Work like this for a year or 2, you have time to read for plab, uslme or whatever exams you have to take without the burden of calls. And you can still work elsewhere if you so desire. Personally I would advice any young doc I know to do this for a couple of years.

Puleeze, there is nothing like free accommodation for the doctors, any doctor with official accommodation has it deducted from his salary. This goes for any civil servant. A doctor with a basic salary of 44k is entitled to a rent allowance of 42k which once given accommodation is deducted from his or her salary. And of course this is a great deal for any young doctor, for a year or 2 just do locum in 2 or more government hospitals and save. You get to choose your own hours, no calls and once your shift is over you go home and relax. Whatever happens to the patients you saw during your shift is someone else's headache, nobody can call you back later that night cos the patient you saw earlier in the morning and stabilized suddenly started bleeding. Whoever is on the next shift takes over. What of the specialty areas, does a surgeon or a paediatrician do 4 hours a day and no calls. What happens to surgical emergencies outside his shift or a distressed baby born outside the paediatricians shift. They wait till the specialist is on duty again? Lagos state government is doing what they feel they have to do but it cannot solve the problem. The patients are getting trash care. It would be better for them to close down some hospitals and merger the work force they claim to have remaining to man one or 2 hospitals properly rather than this makeshift nonsense that is just window dressing.

No house officer or junior resident in LASUTH ever worked 40 hours a week, they were the people on ground ( that's why they are called house officers or residents) the least a lazy house officer could do was 8 hours a day excluding his calls. Most units had only one house officer, so most house officers were on call every day for a month. So imagine if they were to be paid at the rate of 5000 naira for each four hours. In a week when they were on call they would do 24 x 7 = 168 divided by 4 = 42
Multiply by N 5000 = N210,000 in a week. So to replace a house officer they used to pay N170,000 the government now needs to spend about 600k. How smart

[quote author=mbhs139]It is not propaganda. Check Punch News Paper of Sunday, 20th May 2012 on Page 57.

Its not everything they should publish oneline. At least, it has been published in the daily. That has wider circulation than NL. By the way, do you want to be spoon fed for all thing? [/q
Spoon fed, so now tell me the name and address of the closest private hospital to you that is offering you free service. They also said they would only attend to you if you had a card from a government hospital. So what happens to the guy involved in an accident that has never been to a government hospital before? Since he has no card he will have to pay. Why would theyz now send the patients to consultants in government hospitals, weren' t they sacked. What of the consultants that they refer their own patients too cant they see them for free. They are saying what the public wants to hear. If they are so humanitarian is it not the same AGMPN that don't treat without police report, when did they suddenly change. everyone is cashing in on this to get themselves publicity and since we have such a gullible public you are all buying.

The story is incomplete without the list of the private hospitals that are to provide free treatment. Get the list and publish it complete with the a dresses and contact phone numbers. If people do not know how to access this free service then it is pure propaganda.

[quote author=Deekaydadon]How can u compare 9ja with Us? U cnt expect docs in 9ja to be treated like those in the US if they want to be treated as such they shud move to the US.

In the same vein why should Nigerian doctors work like their counterparts in the US. Why should Nigerian patients expect to be given the same level of care that American doctors give their patients. Do the Nigerian doctors have the same facilities, state of the art diagnostic services or do you think the doctors in US are seeing patients that have been treated at home with antibiotics, agbo etc and then lie about it and expect miracles from their practitioner. Have you seen a hospital in the US that doesn't have, comfortable consulting rooms, call rooms for doctors on duty to sleep while on call or theaters where light goes off during procedures. So going by your analogy the Nigerian patients too should move to the Us if they like medical care in the US.

Armadeo leave them, as I have said there are many chemist, pharmacist, laboratories, nurses, churches, prayer houses and tradomedical/herbal medical practitioners in Lagos. There are even private hospitals run by 'oyibos' and since medicine is humanitarian I am sure they will treat them for free. You have alternatives so use them and leave the useless doctors to their fate.

The doctors have been sacked and are headed to court. It's a free country, if the court turns us down we will lick our wounds. If we win in court, you havecthe option never to patronize us again, after all there are many alternatives. Pharmacies and chemist are there which Nigerians love cos their consultation is free. Just tell them your problem, no examination or investigations, bam treatment. Laboratories are there, just go give them a blood sample and they will diagnose staph and treat you accordingly. Churches are there, experienced nurses are there that can even do CS for you. And lest I forget there are many herbal medical and homeopathic practitioners , just check out the medical boards. So my dear brothers and sisters since Nigerian doctors are so bad , greedy, incompetent, murderous EEdiots. Ignore them and use your alternatives.

ngak: The rumor mills are spinning. Apparently plans are being put in place to privatise Lagos health sector....if that is the truth then no more cheap healthcare for Lagosians............Fashola is working.........lagos is spending..........then one will have to pay the nonsense striking drs our cash as they will be cheaper in their so called private hospitals......that my friends would be the definition of IRONY

Wait oh who do you think will man the privatised hospitals, oyibos. I laugh in Chinese. It's the same doctors sacked now that will be employed on a private basis especially the experienced hands and guess what, they will be paid more than they are asking for now. No foreign doctor will come and work in Naija for what they pay Nigerian doctors. One their salaries will be higher and in dollars, they will require standard accommodation in secure locations ie VI, Ikoyi and other perks like cars and drivers which government would never give a Nigerian Prof of 35 years. So in the end some of the sacked doctors will be better of even in this Lagos state working in the privatised sector.
And please don't patronize Nigerian doctors since you hate us that much. Some Indians have set up a hospital in Abuja go there , there are also hospitals in Lagos like one st Francis run by foreigners, I am sure they would not drive you if you go there. Just get rue cash ready.