I was short paid for working based on sentiments

'Life is not fair' is a common phrase, and I have come to believe and accept it. It was in April 2019, to be precise, when I came down to Ilorin during my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) visit to my family. Little did I know that I would be traveling down and spending most of my holiday working. ABC Hospital (actual name withheld) was a facility where I had worked in 2018, although for a brief period of two months. My selfless service and good working relationship with other staff and the management of the hospital made the entire staff keep in touch with me even after I left the hospital for NYSC.

The medical director disclosed a dire need to have a doctor cover some shifts, which happened to fall within the period I had arrived in town. Unfortunately, I am not the type to deny help to others, especially when it'll cost me less. Although the plan was to come home and rest with my family, I had to take up the temporary job offer we often call 'locum'. I worked for about five days, and this was inclusive of night shifts. In fact, I barely made an excuse for two hours to sort out some personal issues that needed my attention.

By locum cover, there is a rate that is always circulated within the state, which may be peculiar to how vibrant the community of doctors is in such areas. Thus, I had a mental calculation of the least amount I was to receive at the end of the period I worked. Also, as a side note, upcoming private facilities often engage the services of the medical doctor, who is expected to have knowledge of basic laboratory or pharmacy sections. Thus, I was performing the function of a dispensary, as the medical director preferred to trust me with the staff nurses. Also, I did basic laboratory investigations such as the packed cell volume, blood group, urinalysis, and, at some point, blood transfusion.

The payday arrived, and I looked forward to something tangible; however, my expectations were dashed upon a rock like a ceramic plate hitting the wall. Alas! I was paid far below what I expected, with the excuse of using a percentage of my expected monthly salary rather than the common locum rate. I was deeply hurt by the token I was offered, which felt ridiculous compared to the services I rendered.

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I took the money offered with a fake smile and thanks and returned to the faraway Kebbi State, where I served. I had learned my lesson, which was to bargain before taking any other job, and the former was executed under the sentiment of a previous good working relationship. Soon enough, I let the incident go, and lucky for me, a job waited for me back home right after my NYSC. Hence, I didn't have to return to ABC Hospital.

Fast forward to about four months ago. I met the medical director (though we have met before on several occasions and on other grounds) at a mall, and she lamented her dire need for a medical doctor as the last doctor she employed had relocated out of the country. Deep within me, I knew I was not going to stress myself out looking for a doctor for her; her journey of stress had only just begun.