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Staff Of Nisa Premier Hospital In Abuja Accuse Senior Cuban Doctor Of Racism, Say Management Refusing To Investigate Complaints

A source familiar with the situation, told SaharaReporters that the Cuban doctor racially profiles Nigerian staff at the hospital and uses it to launch attacks on them during consultation, ward rounds or personal encounters.

Some staff of Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja have accused one Dr Yordana Carballo, a Cuban national, of racism towards Nigerian employees of the healthcare facility. 

The staff also alleged that despite years of complaint on Dr Carballo's behaviour, the hospital's management is yet to take measures to protect them from her brazen display of racism.

A source familiar with the situation, told SaharaReporters that the Cuban doctor racially profiles Nigerian staff at the hospital and uses it to launch attacks on them during consultation, ward rounds or personal encounters.

"Most times when she comes, she makes comments like Nigerians smell, black people smell, when she goes into a flight, she does not want to seat with black people, whenever we make comments about Nigerian authors, she usually says we should take it out, that she does not trust anything that Nigeria does, that we are not good.

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"The only person she used to respect was a lady (name withheld) who did her Peadeatrics in the United States but left the hospital in part because of the situation, she couldn't take it," the source said.

A doctor familiar with the situation said the hospital management once fired a nurse, who had an encounter with Dr Carballo and was racially abused by her.

"There have been instances where she has demonstrated brazen and brash attitude towards the nurses but the managment does not react. One specific nurse had an encounter with her and the hospital sacked the nurse.

"This has been going on. When expatriates from Turkey and other places are around, she treats them nicely. This has been happening for years and the managment is aware," the doctor said.

The staff of the hospital called on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to investigate the situation and why the management of the hospital had refused to reprimand her.

"Before you practice medicine in Nigeria, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has to give you a license. The MDCN does not usually license expatriates, meanwhile before Nigerians can practice anywhere in the world, we have to be licensed. 

"She calls us names, saying Nigerians are not good and the managment has never made an attempt to reprimand this lady and this is happening in the heart of Nigeria," the doctor added.

When SaharaReporters contacted Nisa Premier Hospital for comments on Wednesday, the Head of Human Resource, Williams Chuka, said, "I would like to ask if it is possible for us to be given an opportunity to have the full information for an internal investigation. 

"For you to say you are going to press, means you have agreed with that position that the doctors and nurses have given to you.

"You have been given a complaint and you have had the opportunity to do your investigation, I have just been given a report, I must also be given an opportunity for my own investigation, you cannot expect me to give you a position of the organisation based on your comments to me at this point.

"I, as Head of HR, do not hold the highest office in the organisation and at this point I will not be able to give you a position. My position is to give this feedback to my Medical Director who is the higest position in the organisation and let him have the opportunity to respond."