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Nigerian doctors in UK lament exploitation, slave labour
Nigerian medical doctors and their counterparts from developing countries working in the United Kingdom have lamented exploitation in the course of their work.
This was revealed by BBC on Tuesday adding that an investigation proved that Nigerian doctors recruited by a British healthcare company are expected to work in private hospitals under conditions not allowed in the National Health Service (NHS).
While the British Medical Association (BMA) has described the situation as “shocking”, some of the hospitals denied the allegations as claimed by Nigerians.
Read also: We don’t have enough medical doctors — NMA disagrees with Minister of Health
BBC spoke to several foreign medical practitioners and one of them was a young Nigerian doctor, Augustine Enekwechi who worked at the private Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital in 2021.
Enekwechi said his working hours were extreme – on 24 hours a day for a week at a time. He claimed he was unable to leave the hospital grounds, adding that the working environment looked like “a prison.”
The doctor further said the challenges could pose health risks to patients in the hospital.
“I knew that working tired puts the patients at risk and puts myself also at risk, as well for litigation,” Enekwechi said. “I felt powerless… helpless, you know, constant stress and thinking something could go wrong.”
Nuffield Health refutes the allegations
Nuffield Health disputed those working hours, saying its doctors are offered regular breaks, time off between shifts, and the ability to swap shifts if needed. The company added that “the health and well-being of patients and hospital team members” is its priority.
Enekwechi was hired out to the Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital by a private company – NES Healthcare. It specialises in employing doctors from overseas, many from Nigeria, and using them as Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) – live-in doctors found mainly in the private sector.
He said he was elated when he first got the job that he hardly looked at the NES contract. He said the company excluded him from legislation that protects UK workers from excessive working hours – the Working Time Directive – and left him vulnerable to a range of punishing salary deductions.
He was, however, not the only person involved. The BMA and the front-line lobbying group the Doctors’ Association has given the BBC’s File on 4 and Newsnight exclusive access to the findings of a questionnaire put to 188 Resident Medical Officers. Most of the doctors were employed by NES but some were with other employers.
It found that 92% had been recruited from Africa and most – 81% – were from Nigeria. The majority complained about excessive working hours and unfair salary deductions.
WHO’s warning
For years now, the World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned against the “active recruitment” of doctors and nurses from developing countries with severe shortages of medical personnel.
The WHO has assembled a list of 47 such countries – most of them in Africa. The UK government has incorporated that list into its own code of practice – calling it the “red list”. In effect, it makes Nigeria a no-go destination for British medical recruiters.
So it becomes a disturbing concern how Nigerian doctors are included in the UK. Meanwhile, the report from Nigerian doctors planning to still travel out of the country was troubling.
Nigeria’s doctors planning to travel
According to the report, BBC said in an exam hall in Lagos, it discovered hundreds of doctors queuing to take what was called a Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test – or PLAB 1.
The paper was set by the General Medical Council (GMC) in London and the first step required by the British medical authorities to secure a licence to work in the UK.
The doctors explained they were attracted by the potential of higher salaries and better working conditions. The event was being overseen by staff from the British Council – an organisation sponsored by the Foreign Office.
GMC roles in other countries
The GMC also offers the exams in several other red-list countries – Ghana, Sudan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Both the GMC and British Council deny they are involved in “active recruitment” and say they’re simply helping provide a service for doctors wanting to come to the UK independently – something that is allowed under the guidelines.
In Enekwechi’s case, he was studying for the second part of those PLAB exams in the UK, when he was approached by NES Healthcare and later offered visa sponsorship and a potential job.
While it appeared to have been “active recruitment” – NES said it was not a recruitment agency and, as such, only engaged with doctors from overseas once they have already committed to practising in the UK.
But the Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that the UK code of practice did apply to NES – so the company was in breach of it.
Other doctor’s reactions
With respect to other African doctors recruited in this way by NES. They all had similar stories about what the terms and conditions of their contracts meant in reality, once they had been hired out to private UK hospitals.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has announced its readiness to host President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other top party leaders as it officially welcomes Governor Umo Eno into its ranks.
Speaking at a press briefing in Uyo on Friday, APC chieftain and former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, disclosed that the party was fully prepared to receive the president, Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman, and governors elected on the party’s platform for the historic reception.
Governor Umo Eno had on June 6 formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, in a move widely described as a political game-changer in Akwa Ibom.
Enang, a former Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly and Niger Delta Affairs, said the governor’s defection had effectively aligned the state with the central government.
He assured Governor Eno and his supporters that the APC would embrace them wholeheartedly and honour all agreements reached.
“As progressives, we shall work with the governor and his supporters to ensure that they fit into the party without hitches,” Enang stated. “We will also work with them to align programmes of the state government with the ideals and manifesto of the party.”
He further described the governor’s move as a “merger” that promises significant benefits for Akwa Ibom and its citizens.
The planned reception is expected to mark a major political event in the state, signaling a realignment of forces ahead of future elections.
The Ekiti State Government has intensified efforts to prevent flooding across the state with the launch of a comprehensive dredging campaign, targeting critical waterways in both rural and urban areas.
Chairman of the Ekiti State Environmental Protection Agency (EKSEPA), Chief Bamitale Oguntoyinbo, disclosed this on Friday during an inspection visit to the ongoing dredging project at the Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti.
Oguntoyinbo, who was accompanied by EKSEPA board members, said the visit was to assess the progress of work being carried out to mitigate flood risks in the community. He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of the dredging work.
“I and other board members of EKSEPA are delighted with the level of job done by the site engineer because he is actually working with the directives of three-kilometer dredging of waterways,” he said.
According to him, the dredging commenced on June 4, and so far, 1.8 kilometers of the river have been successfully cleared.
He applauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the safety and welfare of residents by initiating the state-wide anti-flooding campaign.
“I want to commend our amiable governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, for embarking on zero tolerance campaign against flooding in every community and town in Ekiti,” Oguntoyinbo stated.
He also praised the General Manager of EKSEPA, Mr. Olukayode Adunmo, for his commitment to the project’s supervision and success.
In his remarks, Adunmo emphasized the urgent need to clear waterways choked by refuse, which impede water flow and contribute to flooding during the rainy season.
“Dredging of Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun Local Government Area is necessary because some of the waterways have been blocked by refuse,” he explained. “There is the need for us to remove every blockage to enhance free flow of water and avert flooding during heavy rainfall.”
Adunmo also commended Governor Oyebanji for taking proactive steps to protect lives and properties across the state.
Residents of Ise-Ekiti have welcomed the government’s intervention. Chief Godwin Ojo, a community leader, expressed gratitude to the governor for his timely action.
“We thank the governor for the move to avert flooding in our community,” Ojo said. “May God grant him more wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state to an enviable height.”
The dredging campaign forms part of the Oyebanji administration’s broader commitment to environmental safety and disaster prevention.
President Bola Tinubu is expected in Kaduna State Today Thursday for the inauguration of several key developmental projects executed by the administration of Gov. Uba Sani.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit forms part of activities marking Sani’s two years in office.
The projects lined up for inauguration include the 300-bed Specialist Hospital in Millennium City, Kaduna, built by the state government to bolster the provision of healthcare services.
Tinubu will also inaugurate the Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development in Rigachikun, road projects in Soba, and Samaru Kataf LGA’S as well as the 24-kilometre Kafanchan Township Road.
Others are the Tudun Biri Road, the 22km road linking Kauru and Kubau LGAs as well as the Vocational and Skills Training Centre in Tudun Biri.
Tinubu is also expected to unveil 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, as part of efforts to modernise the state’s public transportation system.
The projects are part of the administration’s focus on infrastructurde evelopment, healthcare delivery, youths empowerment, and economic growth.
The state government described the visit as a significant moment for the people of Kaduna and an opportunity to showcase ongoing efforts to transform the state through impactful governance.
Sani, who marked his second year in office this month, has prioritised human capital development, rural infrastructure, and jobs creation since taking office in 2023.
Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna State was rescheduled from Wednesday to Thursday.
He was initially supposed to visit Kaduna on Wednesday, but due to the recent attacks in Benue, he shifted his trip.
The president visited Benue on Wednesday to commiserate with the victims of the recent attacks and assess the humanitarian crisis.
During his visit to Benue, Tinubu met with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political and community leaders, and youth groups, to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.
He also condemned the ongoing violence and called on the residents to embrace peace and mutual understanding.
NAN recalls that the Benue Government had declared a work-free day for Tinubu’s visit, urging the residents to turn out in large numbers to welcome him.
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