NMA Suspends Medical Services In Edo Over Doctors Abduction

Doctors in Edo State have made the difficult decision to stop seeing patients starting this Saturday. They aren't doing this because they want to, but because they are scared. This "suspension of services" is a protest against the kidnapping of two of their colleagues earlier this month.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says that the environment has become too dangerous for healthcare workers. Two doctors were snatched away on January 1st and 2nd, and since then, the medical community has been in a state of panic. They feel like targets every time they go to work.

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Dr. Eustace Oseghale, the head of the NMA in Edo, explained that doctors cannot focus on saving lives if they are constantly looking over their shoulders. He says they need a guarantee from the government that hospitals and the roads leading to them will be safe from criminals.

​This strike is going to be very hard on the people of Edo State. With hospitals closed, many people won't be able to get the care they need. The doctors realize this, but they argue that they can't help anyone if they are being abducted and held for ransom themselves.

The situation is a loud "S.O.S." to the government to fix the security problems in the state. Everyone wants the doctors back at work, but first, the doctors want their colleagues back home safely. It is a heartbreaking standoff that highlights the real-world consequences of rising insecurity.