HURIWA Calls on Tinubu to Intervene After 17 Igbo Doctors Denied Housemanship

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded urgent intervention by President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Health after 17 newly posted doctors were prevented from starting their compulsory housemanship at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).

HURIWA described the rejection as discriminatory and a violation of the doctors’ constitutional rights, noting that the affected medical graduates are predominantly of Igbo ethnicity. The organisation called on federal authorities to ensure the doctors can commence their training without further delay.

The group also urged that the UCTH governing board and chief medical director be held accountable for promoting ethnic bias and undermining national unity. HURIWA criticised the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for failing to enforce its posting directives, leaving the doctors stranded and uncertain about their professional futures.

HURIWA stressed that swift government action is necessary to uphold fairness, protect the rights of medical professionals, and restore confidence in the nation’s healthcare system.