By Patrick Ochei
Resident Doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have staged a nationwide protest to drive home their demand for the release of their colleague, Dr (Mrs) Ganiyat Popoola from her bandit abductors in Kaduna since December 27, 2023.
In Delta State, doctors at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC Asaba chapter of the Association, marched round the hospital premises chanting songs of solidarity in procession and demanding of Government to urgently secure the release of their colleague from the kidnappers or have them down tools until the needful is done.
Speaking to the Press during the protest, the Chairman of the FMC Asaba Chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Kenneth Okolie disparaged the attitude of Government towards medical personnel in the country, maintaining that the security of health workers has remained a less priority to the political leaders.
He said this behaviour has led to the Japa syndrome in the medical profession, because most practitioners could no longer put up with the insecurity around them in addition to the poor working environment and inadequate welfare packages they are also faced with.
He called on the Federal Government and the Government of Kaduna State to secure the release of Dr Ganiyat Popoola with immediate effect or have them shut down their services to the society.
According to him, “No doctor is well remunerated, there is brain drain and Japa syndrome has taken over the profession, yet our lives for those of us here, are no longer guaranteed. We need the attention of management, health ministry, security agencies and government to come to our rescue”.
Speaking also was the National Assistant Secretary of NARD and immediate past Chairman of FMC Asaba Chapter, Dr Asore who confirmed that the national body had done everything necessary to secure the release of their colleague but to no avail.
He said, “We have done everything possible to get Dr Ganiyat Popoola released. It has been promises upon promises by security agencies. We intended doing a nationwide protest but for the fragility of the country at the moment coming from the End Bad Governance protest, we decided to shelve it by asking our members at individual states to restrict the protest within their hospital premises.
The Public Relations Officer of the Chapter, Dr Silva Juliet equally lent her voice by calling on the media and well meaning Nigerians to support the agitation of the Resident Doctors to ensure that their colleague is released unhurt to reunite with her family and colleagues. She added that no place is safe again in the country if the hospital environment that is supposed to be safe for everybody is no longer safe for health workers and patients.
In solidarity with the protesters at the Administrative complex of the hospital, Dr Omo Ekeneam (CMAC) representing the MD, Dr Victor Osiatuma, addressed the Resident Doctors, assuring them that management would support them and work with them in synergy to advance calls for the release of Dr Ganiyat Popoola.
Dr Popoola, a nursing mother was abducted alongside her husband and her nephew from their official quarters at the National Eye Centre Kaduna, on the December 27, 2023.
It was gathered that the husband whose health condition was fragile was later released on March 7, 2024, after series of negotiations and payment of over #60 million and foodstuff as ransom, while the wife and nephew had remained in the custody of the bandits ever since.
Meanwhile, some psychologically inclined persons had imagined that because the woman is a doctor, the abductors must have found her useful to be rendering medical services to the bandits and their captives.
