Medical graduates currently undergoing their 12-month housemanship training across Nigeria have been denied their August salaries and, despite requesting their salary every day in September, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) have remained silent.
EQ understands this is not the first time house officers have had to beg or protest online for their salaries. While consultants and registrars received their August salaries, house officers were excluded. The last time the MDCN paid them was August 8 for their services in July.
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A house officer, who spoke to EQ on the condition of anonymity, said that some of them were starving, with others surviving on loans as they waited on the delayed salaries.
“We haven’t been paid for August, and it’s almost two weeks into the new month. We’ve been silent, but nothing has been done. People are starving, plans are on hold, and many can’t feed comfortably, resorting to borrowing money to get by. I’m not trying to drag anyone; we’ve worked and deserve our pay,” the officer told EQ on Tuesday.
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In the past four days, several doctors and house officers have taken to X to express their dissatisfaction with Fatima Kyari, the MDCN registrar, for failing to ensure timely payment of house officers’ salaries alongside those of other doctors.
Dear Hippocratic Elders: @FatimaKyari @muhammadpate @DrTunjiAlausa Today is September 6.House Officers are yet to receive their August salaries from @MDCNOfficial @Fmohnigeria We plead for your urgent intervention in releasing their hard earned income. We also hope we wont… https://t.co/Di084h0jTw pic.twitter.com/NlZS5rifiR— Nigerian Doctor (@Nigerian_Doctor) September 6, 2024
It’s the 6th day of the new month and Houseofficers have not been paid their meagre salary @FatimaKyari @officialABAT @MDCNOfficial Consultants and Registrars have been paid but the powerhouse of each unit has been denied theirs. Pay us today! Pay us now!! #payhostoday— Femi Durojaye (@teddy_master97) September 6, 2024
Fatima no be so o , cost of living want Finnish the living every day in Nigeria And houseofficers haven’t been paid yet, this is enough reason for the japa syndrome amongst Nigerian Doctors https://t.co/ks0pNCjiei— danvicci (@danvictorkalu) September 9, 2024
EQ called the MDCN via a number on its website but no representative answered. An email sent to MDCN had not been responded to at press time.
The FMoH has also refused to address the house officers.
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