The Chairman, NMA Lagos Zone, Babajide Saheed, who made this known in a statement in Lagos said this while reacting to an online publication which alleged that “two-thirds of Nigerian doctors and nurses demand bribes before attending to patients.”
The NMA zonal chairman pointed out that the online media publication claimed to have drawn the report from a recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics report titled, ‘Corruption in Nigeria: Pattern and Trends’.
Saheed warned that NMA would not hesitate to use lawful means to seek redress for perceived damage to the noble profession.
The Chairman commended the efforts of NBS and its collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes to stamp corruption out of Nigeria and the courage to publish the third corruption survey.
He noted that it was heartwarming that the survey reported in a section that more than 70 per cent of respondents refused to pay bribes demanded by public officials.
The chairman emphasised that the medical practitioners’ community and its regulatory body – the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria have a robust disciplinary process for erring members and would not condone misconduct from its members.
According to Saheed, the NMA Lagos continues to hold the generality of the Nigerian media in high esteem and would not like to join issues with any section of the revered fourth estates of the realm.
He, therefore, demanded that the maligning and misleading online report be pulled down by its publisher.