The management of the National Hospital, Abuja, has denied reports suggesting that three doctors were dismissed from its workforce.
This clarification was made by the Head of the Information and Protocol Management Department, Maijamaa Adamu, in a statement issued on Saturday.
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The response follows a 14-day strike ultimatum issued by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), demanding the reinstatement of three doctors allegedly dismissed after being engaged on casual terms at the hospital for three years.
However, Mr Adamu insisted that no doctor or consultant currently employed by the hospital had been dismissed.
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“We wish to state categorically that the National Hospital has not contemplated, let alone executed, the termination of any staff, particularly doctors or consultants, whose services are immensely valuable to both the hospital and the nation,” the statement read.
He further disclosed that the hospital recently received federal approval to recruit additional doctors and nurses, a process he said is being diligently undertaken by an inter-agency panel in accordance with federal recruitment protocols.
Misunderstanding
Mr Adamu explained that the matter may stem from a misunderstanding regarding consultants who had completed their residency training and were subsequently engaged on a temporary, locum basis.
He said this locum arrangement is an internal, short-term measure lasting six months, renewable where necessary.
He noted that this does not constitute formal employment, as the hospital lacks the mandate to confer permanent appointments.
He added that when recruitment opportunities do arise, locum consultants are often considered.
For instance, in late 2023, when the federal government approved 83 employment slots for the hospital, including 10 for consultants, all 10 positions were filled by existing locum consultants.
“To avoid any confusion, it must be emphasised that consultants who complete their residency training are at liberty to seek employment elsewhere in the absence of available positions at the hospital,” he said.
“In such cases, a standard six-month exit notice is issued, in line with the practice at other tertiary institutions.”
Mr Adamu said that the decision to retain such individuals on a locum basis is a discretionary act of goodwill by the management, subject to prevailing operational needs, and does not entail any formal commitment to absorption, as such authority lies beyond the hospital’s powers.
Industrial action
The NMA had earlier warned that its members at the hospital would embark on a total and indefinite strike beginning 30 June, if the doctors are not reinstated.
It described the hospital’s action as “selective victimisation and scapegoating” of the affected doctors, who were among 30 employed under similar arrangements.
In the memo dated 13 June and addressed to the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Muhammad Mahmud, the association described the affected doctors as consultants who were employed on casual terms for three years before being abruptly disengaged.
It said the decision to disengage them, without explanation, contradicts principles of fairness and worsens morale within the already overstretched health sector.
The association stressed that the industrial action is a last resort to protect the welfare of its members and ensure fairness in the system.
An industrial action at the National Hospital—one of Nigeria’s premier referral centres—could cripple healthcare delivery across the FCT and even the country.
The hospital handles hundreds of outpatient consultations, surgeries, and critical care cases daily. A walkout by its doctors could result in treatment delays, surgery cancellations, worsened patient outcomes, and increased strain on nearby hospitals.
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