Female Lawyer Assaults Anambra Journalist Over Comment On Doctors Strike

PC Odili, Owerri

Anambra-based Journalist, JC Egbeocha, has narrated to colleagues how a female Lawyer in the State verbally assaulted him over a news story, which highlighted negative effects of the ongoing Resident Doctors’ strike on the masses.

The Journalist had paraphrased and shared on WhatsApp status update, a comment in the news story, which claimed that efforts by a non-governmental organization, NGO, Ogazi Global Foundation to transfer a 12years old fire victim, Miss Favour Ngozi Aniobi to National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu for better medical attention was frustrated by the ongoing strike by the National Association of Resident Doctor, NARD.

But reacting to the comment, a female Lawyer, N C Chukwuka told the Journalist not to blame resident doctors, arguing that there are Consultants, House Officers and others who run a good hospital and not Resident Doctors. “Where are the consultants of that hospital? Or they had none.”

In reply, the Journalist told the Lawyer to express her opinion, just as others did in the news story, and the following conversations ensued after the Journalist forwarded to the Lawyer, tweets from Medical Doctors highlighting brain drain, shortage of Consultants and Specialists in Nigerian hospitals:
(1) “I run a private health facility. It’s almost impossible to get a medical officer right now. Those in my employ are writing foreign exams. It is scary for those of us who know what is happening. For the rest of the country, it is business as usual”.

(2) “The shortage of specialists in Nigeria is at an early stage. I have finished my training as a specialist, waiting to write my exams. More than 90% of my colleagues are on their way out. Most of them have passed foreign exams, just waiting to bag their fellowship here”.

(3) “I couldn’t find an anaesthesiologist to assist in my surgery in a whole owerri. The 3 I used to hire have left to saudi. Consultants, Resident doctors are disappearing on a daily basis. Few of us left are overworked. Nigerians don’t know what’s going on”.

Lawyer: What’s your point?

Journalist: I honestly don’t think you need further explanations.

Lawyer: You are the one confused. You need to go and study the ladders of hospitals. Consultants are the lead Doctors, while Residents Doctors and House Officers are like practitioners that are furthering their skills. Before you are in a hurry to post unfounded news my dear, know the routines, ranks and position. Talk with Doctors before you nail the coffin shut.

Journalist: Ekelu olu eke (there are divisions of labor). You are still sounding academic, and in this case, i can only discuss realities. I take responsibility for my comments.

Lawyer: Just go brush up on hospitals. Anyway, it’s your news. Tell your story the way you know it.

Journalist: You think i need it? Anyway, thanks for the recommendation, … and don’t forget to compare the word i used: “Contributed” and the tweets from Medical practitioners, highlighting brain drain, shortage of Specialists and all what have you.

Lawyer: Resident Doctors are training to become Specialists, Consultants. Like I said earlier, go and learn the hospital. “Stop spewing things in an unintelligent manner”. “You need not rant like our H/A members that are primarily school starved”.

Journalist: It’s okay Barrister. Continue exposing the fact that you are not in touch with reality.
(He forwarded another post to the Lawyer to support the claim that Resident Doctor’s strike contributed in the death of the 12 years old fire victim):
“Ladies and gentlemen, I wanted to discuss with my friend a consultant at NOH Enugu before applying for the government house ambulance for the transfer of the victim, but I arm broken hearted after the phone conversation with the consultant just now. He reminded me of the Residence Doctors strike, meaning that nobody will attend to her there. Finally he advised we remain at the present hospital till further notice. Please let’s all remember miss Favor in our prayers. She MUST not die”.

Lawyer: Oga newsman. Do you know how much I detest an unintelligent being? It’s irritating. “He who brain has been given to is expected to have sense”. Biko, stop making me wonder how deep you are in that line. If you had spent half the time you spent to look for a Medical practitioner who would talk with you and teach you slightly, “instead of looking for lay foolish thought on that”, you would have seriously apologized. “Stop viewing the world from a stupid man’s window”.

Journalist: Hmmm, Barrister! Na waoh! I wonder why you think i deserve all these assaults. It’s well. Continue. Good morning!

Asked why he seemed uninterested in engaging the Lawyer in war of words, the Journalist said, “I didn’t consider it necessary then”. “I’m more interested in a case she is handling, which i am on as a Journalist”.

He however maintained that the latest verbal assaults underscore how the Lawyer relates to him whenever approached for comments and interviews.

Efforts to reach Barr. Chukwuka for comments were not successful.

However, a Nurse, who pleaded anonymity, but is privy to the argument, said both the Lawyer and the Journalist are right in their positions on Resident Doctors and contributions in healthcare delivery, and called on the Federal Government to address issues in the nation’s health sector.

Answering questions regarding who Residents Doctors are and their role in healthcare delivery, the President of Resident Doctors’ Association, Dr Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, said members are Medical school graduates training to become Specialists.

He said about 17,000 Resident Doctor in Nigeria, who make up 40% of the estimated Doctor population, “dominate emergency wards in teaching or federal medical centres in Nigeria and are therefore essential as first contacts in public hospitals”.

The term “resident”, according to Dr Uyilawa, came to be because Resident Doctors generally live in the hospitals.

Contributing, Nigeria Medical Association’s President, Dr Innocent Ujah, acknowledges shortage of manpower and brain drain in health sector, and urged Federal Government to prioritise welfare of members.

It was gathered that 8,590 Nigerian doctors were registered to practise in UK as of August 2021, of which 1,968 were Doctors in training..