Nigerian doctors hired to work in the UK are subjected to “illegal, exploitative” working conditions.

Nigerian doctors hired to work in UK hospitals have complained that they are being taken advantage of and overworked.

In recent years, there have been worries regarding the large-scale emigration of Nigerian doctors to other nations in quest of better possibilities.

Investigations revealed that Nigerian doctors are being hired by a British healthcare company and expected to operate in private hospitals under circumstances that are not permitted by the National Health Service, the BBC said (NHS).

A private business called NES Healthcare, which specializes in hiring doctors from abroad, contacted Augustine Enekwechi, a young Nigerian physician who worked at Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital in 2021, and offered to sponsor his visa and a future employment.

The doctor said he was unaware that the NES contract made him ineligible under the UK law protecting employees from excessive working hours and exposed him to a number of wage reductions.

Enekwechi claimed that while working at the hospital, it seemed like being in “a prison” because he was once on call 24 hours a day for a week.

“I was aware that working when fatigued puts both the patients and me at risk for lawsuits. According to the BBC, he said, “I felt helpless and powerless because I was constantly stressed up and worried that something might go wrong.
Femi Johnson, a physician who worked at another hospital, claimed he was likewise anticipated to put in 14 to 16-hour days followed by overnight shifts.

“I was exhausted. I was worn out and in need of rest. “To do that every day for seven days is not humanly conceivable,” he declared.

Johnson stated that the NES has the right to remove money from his pay when he required a break in order to pay for the expense of hiring a replacement physician.

According to a British Medical Association (BMA) survey completed by 188 resident medical officers, 92% of them were hired from Africa, with Nigeria accounting for the majority at 81 percent. According to the report, the majority also complained about lengthy workdays and arbitrary pay reductions.