By Chioma Obinna
IRKED by   the action of  striking doctors in the State, Medical Advisory Committee to the Lagos State Governor, MAC, yesterday read the riot act to the striking doctors, describing their action as “flagrant abuse of their professional calling”.

The team made up of older doctors in the profession also announced that the State government is currently recruiting a new set of medical doctors to replace those on incessant strike action.

To further return normalcy in the already bridged services across the state hospitals, MAC said NYSC doctors are to be deployed  to all emergency departments of hospitals to further forestall loss of human lives.

Briefing journalists, the Chairman of MAC, Dr. Ore Falomo who chided the members of Medical Guild advised the doctors to stop playing god, accusing them of violating the Hippocratic Oath that guides the medical profession.

According to him, the oath states; “that a doctor must avoid the death of patients irrespective of their grievances or socio-economic status and also finish every medical procedure they have started on any patient”.

Falomo said: “We are not justifying strike or no strike but this a noble profession that has to do with lives and this is why we are saying that there are better ways to achieve their aims and objectives instead of embarking on strike at the slightest opportunity. Nobody can pay doctors enough but they should change their methology.”Continuing, Falomo who further disclosed that a quarter of the doctors on strike has already been replaced  enjoined specialists on ground to take care of emergency surgical procedures. Reading what seems like a riot act to the doctors, he said: “Henceforth, there should be an undertaken by House Officers and Resident doctors not to engage in strike actions in the state. Head of service and justice department should be encouraged and committed for appropriate actions to be taken on erring medical doctors.

“Salaries of doctors who are active on duty presently should be paid and compensated for extra work done while salary of those on strikes should be withheld and subjected to appropriated consideration. Civil services rules and regulations should be enforced to serve as a deterrent to future occurrence of strike by medical doctors. Arrangement of provision of securities in relevant locations and hospitals should be consolidated and sustained.”

“MAC sees your present strike as uncalled for, poor monitoring by the senior members among you, and display of poor leadership by your executive members.

We seize this opportunity to ask you to sheath your sword and create a better atmosphere for proper dialogue and lobbying when necessary.”

“We want you to realise that the piper dictates the tune and if the condition of service is not satisfactory to you at this level of negotiation we advise you to exit honourably instead of creating and perpetuating a state of anarchy.

Stating that members of Association of General and Medical Private Practitioners of Nigeria, AGMPN, will continue to assist, he said that patients in emergency situations will be treated free of charge throughout the period.

He further advised the striking doctors to see themselves as leader and be ready to hold that position in all esteems and carry other components of the team in all their actions and inactions.

Speaking, Dr. Tosin Ajayi, member of MAC and also the Chairman of First Foundation who noted the importance of doctors in medical service said: “the strike had already bridge services in the hospitals. You cannot suddenly down tool and discharge patients.

We are not operating a newspaper company or a transport company and when it comes to human life we have to tread softly. We have to change that. You cannot just go on strike because of you wanted salary increases in the expense of lives. We must create a good value for our doctors and our profession”