Doctors reject directives by Nasarawa Govt against private practice

The Nasarawa State chapter of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has rejected the directive by the state government that doctors on the payroll of government should desist from private practice or face sanction.
Dr Sabo Emmanuel, NMA Chairman in the state, stated this while briefing newsmen on Wednesday in Lafia.
The NMA chairman was reacting to the directive recently given by the Nasarawa State Government that doctors working with the state are not allowed to work or owned private health facilities.
Emmanuel said the directive was not acceptable by the association as their members were not using official time for private practice.
“Our members working with the state owned health facilities are guided by the civil service rules and were never found wanting for compromising their official duties for private engagements.
“Civil Service rules do not prevent doctors from establishing or engaging in private life after office hours,” the chairman said.
He further said that the association was not consulted as they just heard the announcement in the media.
Emmanuel explained that private facilities were playing vital roles in complementing public facilities and is not peculiar to Nasarawa State.
He noted that the association would engage the government on the issue to find a common ground to avoid any industrial disharmony.
On the efforts being made to battle coronavirus pandemic, the chairman said over 150 healthcare workers in the state were infected with the virus.
He, however, commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for payment of COVID-19 allowances to healthcare workers.
He explained that the governor was among the first governors to pay the COVID-19 allowances in the country.
He added that the governor had also provided a lot of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to the healthcare workers battling the virus.