Ngige warns doctors not to play God

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, has advised doctors in the country to be humble and carry themselves with dignity, rather than ‘play God or compete with God’.

Ngige gave the advice while speaking at the 2nd Summit of Medical Elders Forum (MEF) on Thursday, in Abuja.

The event, organized by the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), in collaboration with 50 forward, had as its theme, “Medical Profession: a Look into the Past, Present and Future.”

Nigige expressed his concerns over the state of health nationwide and opined that the medical profession was in danger.

“At no time in the history of NMA and the medical association, was I seeing our association and our profession ever being in danger, as I am seeing them now.

“Many people will not see it, but from where I am sitting and standing, I can see danger ahead.

“We are one of the oldest professions on earth, metamorphosing from natural and traditional healers to take away the pain from people and consequentially save lives.

“We don’t create lives, God creates, we only preserve people’s lives through the act of God. In doing so, God has given us some powers and those powers are near his own to create.

“But, there is something God does not want, God does not want when he gives you powers you use it to try to say that you are like him or you are competing with him.

“God loves you to do that which he has asked you to do; to use that power with humility.

“Doctors should ask themselves questions; why is it that it’s when your colleagues are in government that you go on the greatest number of strikes?

“Some of these colleagues were Presidents, Secretaries-General of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and even NARD,” Ngige asked?

According to him, Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu and Dr Isaac Adewole have had to face plenty of strikes. And since our government came on board, I have consolidated four strikes; something is wrong.

“We need to ask ourselves some questions and be straightforward with the answers

“We must start by telling ourselves the truth. You say they dislike doctors, what did you do for them to dislike you?

“Yes, there is peer envy; yes, some wanted to study medicine and they couldn’t; we know it and if you know it, you carry yourself with dignity and humility,” he added.

Earlier, NMA’s President, Prof. Innocent Ujah, had said a good number of people within and outside the health sector were envious of doctors, without appreciating the tedious academic process of becoming a doctor.

“Everybody is envious of the doctor, what is the problem? What have we done? Is it a sin to be intelligent? By the way, we are the most intelligent,” he stated.