this is the facebook post of a friend..decided to post it here for all. enjoy!

I have been reading my News Feed with very keen interest the last few days.

The truth is, even if GEJ ends up recalling the sacked Resident Doctors, whatever was left of the chord between Doctors and the masses has been finally broken. The mass euphoria that greeted the sack was not surprising, but only goes to confirm the level of ignorance and Double Standards Nigerians live daily.

When Lecturers go on strike, the masses blame Government, when Tanker Drivers go on strike, Government is blamed, when even the Police went on strike during OBJ's era, the Government was blamed. But somehow, the Doctors are mysteriously at fault when its their turn:

1. Nobody asks about how it is that the Government breaches agreements from year to year, agreements of which salary IS JUST ONE COMPONENT. The same Government that makes the promise breaches the same EFFORTLESSLY and waits for the last day of a strike action notice to re-commence negotiations over the same issue.

2. Nobody asks about how it is that a Doctor's hazard allowance is 5,000 naira monthly (at the risk of contacting, HIV, Ebola, Hepatitis, Yellow Fever and all other deadly diseases), while a Senator/HOR member takes several times that amount for entertainment allowance.

3. Nobody looks at how facilities within the Hospitals severely undermine the capacity for the Nigerian Doctor (and other health care Professionals) to be efficient, part of the reasons for which they go on strike.

Yet, at the commencement of each strike, the reflex action is to vilify them. People have severally talked about the Hippocratic oath. I say to you, if you cannot read the whole document......,you deserve pity, for you do not know who is actually killing you.

For those who say Essential Services cannot go on strike, please HIDE YOUR IGNORANCE. I will give you instances where Doctors have gone on strike, even in saner societies. The records are verifiable. (please note that while I am talking about Doctors, other emergency services like the Police and Fire-service are also recorded to have gone on strike in Brazil and UK respectively)

1.The United Kingdom where I work has one of the most stringent rules concerning strike action, yet there is no law banning any group from striking. Even Doctors. And you know what? Doctors went on strike in 2012!!.

2.When I worked in the Carribean, Doctors went on strike in 2010!!

3. Even while Isreal was bombarding Gaza, ISREALI DOCTORS WERE ON STRIKE.

Now, where did the UK and Trinidad Government differ from their Nigerian counter-parts?

1. The Governments acted swiftly and decisively. They did not wait for the strikes to linger before a pot-bellied minister comes and lazily addresses a press conference that negotiations have begun.

2. The Governments HONOURED their agreements.

3. NOBODY ever dreamt of sacking them en masse. Of course the issue should not even arise when agreements have not even been honoured.

I am not saying you must understand the technicalities of the medical field to appreciate the stance of Nigerian Doctors, you do not have to. Its all COMMON SENSE, but I have become increasingly aware that even common sense is not that common.

Anyway, this is just for the records. The rubicon has somewhat been crossed. I would not advocate any revenge or vindictiveness on the populace, but I think its high time the relationship be properly defined. Within the context of appropriately caring for the patient, it should be quid pro quo.

The greatest emotion should be empathy, not sympathy. It should be Professional and impersonal, not informal and personal. Where finances are involved, its either you have your money or go to Government to heal you. I went through great lengths for my training which my parents paid for (it was not free). I spent over 6 years in University while most others spent 4, with a few spending 5. My counter-parts abroad who obtained loans to train are still paying off their loans years after graduation. Even after graduating, I will spend years training myself to become a specialist. If we were to go by your principles that those in these categories are students and should not be paid, then a Doctor would be well over 40 years (or 45 depending on the specialty) before he earns his first salary, but I know common sense is not common.

When I go to you for services, you even jerk up your fees because I am a Doctor. I have other bills to pay (They do not disappear you know). I also have mouths to feed. Sometimes, I am the SOLE BREAD-WINNER. I went to study medicine to help humanity, but like everyone else, to be able to make a decent living. So, my friend, you are free to rejoice that they have been sacked. But be ready to appropriately share the burden of an irresponsible government. The Doctors have borne it for so long. Records show Doctors never striked in the past, other bodies did it for them, then they started when it was obvious other bodies had their problems and Governments were not listening, but then they still kept emergency services open, now they are so hardened some can even walk away from emergency posts during a strike, and you still cannot smell the coffee? SORRY.


isreali doctors strike

trinidad doctors strike

UK doctors strike

jaimacan doctors strike

german doctors strike 2006

german doctors strike 2012

Hello Phantom, I thought I'd drop a few comments on the ongoing strike and matters arising from it. I believe that doctors have not helped matters for a number of reasons.

First, there is a faint whiff of arrogance that one gets from time to time. case in point:

...whatever was left of the chord between Doctors and the masses has been finally broken. The mass euphoria that greeted the sack was not surprising...

I can't help getting a feeling that the writer of the above feels like his service to the masses is a favor. It is not. He gets paid for it. As an academic who could easily get paid better elsewhere, I still do not feel I am doing my students a favor by teaching them. It's my choice, and whether I like it or not, the job puts food on my table.

Secondly, while every union goes on strike for "selfish" reasons (by definition), the NMA is trying hard to burnish its altruistic cred, while the facts paint a slightly different picture.

When Lecturers go on strike, the masses blame Government, when Tanker Drivers go on strike, Government is blamed, when even the Police went on strike during OBJ's era, the Government was blamed. But somehow, the Doctors are mysteriously at fault when its their turn:

This is untrue. ASUU was seriously vilified during the last ASUU strike. The slight change in the mood of the public came as the "masses" listened to first, FG, and then ASUU make their case. Time allowed a clearer picture of things to emerge, and I believe the strike ended with more people on ASUU's side. Despite this, to say that "the masses blamed government" is not true. I know how many hours I spent on Nairaland, often under vitriolic attacks.

Perhaps the problem in this case is that the masses have listened to NMA and FG, and despite multiple attempts to convince them, they just find the NMA's stance hard to reconcile with their impressions?

Lest you think I am another JOHESU nut on a doctor-bashing mission, I should mention that on many of the NMA vs JOHESU issues, I stand with NMA. However, there are just so many things that ...shall I say, don't add up.

Just one example: doctors want N100k hazard. Okay. However, it is clear from the NMA's stance on other issues that they will fight claw tooth and nail to prevent other unions from getting it. Okaaaay...but when you try to convince us that doctors are more exposed to risks than, say, nurses, the argument doesn't seem to hold water. So should other unions get the N100k? And if not, why?

Another example: the Minister of Health must be a doctor...okay. Now we want a Surgeon General...must also be a doctor. Hmmm...


Far be it from me, an ASUU member (and consequently, one of the worst "strikers" in Nigeria) to try appear self-righteous, but perhaps, the masses refuse to be corralled into NMA's corner because there is a faint whiff of selfishness around the whole issue?

Just my thoughts...

The issue isnt IF doctors shld strike...u seem not to get it...STRIKE IF U MUST! But do it for valid reasons.It makes no sense when u make unreasonable demands.
And who says patients dnt care abt dia doctors....dey'll even fight ur course provided its devoid of selfish and meaningless demands.however they loose confidence when dey notice u care abt d cash more than them.

With such desperation and greed u cld even sell people's kidneys without dia knowledge.*no jokes!

femi i appreciate you stopping by and dropping your opinion.its appreciated

concerning your first point, the relationship the writer talked about was the informal one,not the one formed in clinics and wards.
for instance the doctor is probably the only professional that consult ON THE ROADSIDE OR OVER THE PHONE.
i have friends and even people i dont know from adam who call me up to seek for medical advice. in such situations many doctors still go ahead to consult and recommend drugs over the phone.
my neighbourhood tailor and generator mechanic call me up at anytime to complain BUT they NEVER give me free service. i must pay for everything even if its sewing a button to a shirt or an oil change for my gen.

many nigerians have such relationships with doctors.its an informal relationship. But with this nationwide sacking of doctors, opinions from those same people have deeply saddened many of us. people we have helped at one time or the other are gloating at this event.
it has shocked every doctor to his bones.we now realize that many nigerians despise doctors.
sadly that informal relationship will have to end.
from now on,no more free consultations. every damn thing will be paid for.

we are not fighting tooth and nail to subdue anybody.i wont discuss the money-based demands because you appear to have a problem with the other demands that have to do with johesu
they want to be consultants but the doctors are saying that consultancy is not given by appointment.
dont be decieved,they want consultancy status BECAUSE OF THE SPECIALIST ALLOWANCE ATTACHED TO IT.
doctors are saying that their own consultancy is gotten after further postgraduate training for a period between 6 and 8 years.
so a medical consultant can GIVE MORE TO HIS PATIENTS because he has added value to himself in a certain field.

my brother,consultancy for pharmacists,lab techs,radiographers and nurses WILL NOT ADD ANYTHING TO PATIENT MANAGEMENT.
the consultant pharmacist will still dispense
the consultant nurses will still do what they do best
the consultant lab techs will do no extra thing on top of what they do now.
DONT BE HOODWINKED. it has no extra value in a tertiary hospital setting BUT WILL CAUSE CONFUSION.
in a country where anybody in a white ward coat is a doctor,if you really have insight,you will know that this will increase quackery.
Our people are not informed enough to ask "are you a doctor?" talk more of asking "are you a consultant?"

they are quick to tell you what obtains abroad. yes there are consultant nurses and pharmacists BUT THEY ARE NOT HOSPITAL BASED.google it!
abroad,what are the QUALIFICATIONS required to be called consultant nurse or pharmacist are our people ready to undergo further training for that?

Education, Training and Qualifications

Diploma or degree in nursing
Masters level education in advanced clinical practice
Has or working towards PhD
Post graduate research training
Teaching and assessing in clinical practice
May have additional qualifications related to a specialist area

i couldnt get the qualifications for the pharmacists.

the post of surgeon general is important.abroad it has always been PHYSICIANS.
the current SG of the US is a doctor. the nurse johesu is quick to point to in the US is Lt.general patricia horoho who is the SURGEON GENERAL OF THE US ARMY. 2 different positions entirely.she is there now because she is the most senior officer in medical services of the US army(army respects rank so that shouldnt come as a surprise!)

nobody is asking that johesu should not get a hazard allowance. that is not one of NMAs demands. please read them again.
every health worker should get a commensurate hazard allowance. NMA is not against that. please be informed.

the post of CMD should be for physicians only. what johesu should be clamouring for is office of the CEO who must be someone with a management degree or training who oversees CMD,CNO etc
they wont tell you that in our hospitals today,apart from the post of CMD,there is a post of DA(director of admin) who handles administrative matters.
contrary to what many people think,many of these issues are not to subdue others but to maintain decorum and sanity in our hospitals.
there will be confusion!

As a doctor how can I move to the Caribbean, pls I need info.

magnusalbertus: As a doctor how can I move to the Caribbean, pls I need info.

where did you train? because depending on where you trained,you will not need to write any licensing exams.

phantom:

where did you train? because depending on where you trained,you will not need to write any licensing exams.

My cousin trained at uniben. Does he need to write liscencing exams?

5minsmadness:
My cousin trained at uniben. Does he need to write liscencing exams?

nope!

UNN
UNIBEN
UNILAG
IFE
U.I
ABU. not sure of uniben & ABU though. will check though

phantom: from now on,no more free consultations. every damn thing will be paid for

This is exactly what I was referring to in my post. You feel like you need to take punitive measures on Mr. Joe Patient because he does not agree with your strike action. What you should focus on is to try to educate Mr. Patient.

...DONT BE HOODWINKED. it has no extra value in a tertiary hospital setting BUT WILL CAUSE CONFUSION...

I happen to think that only doctors should bear the title "consultant". I did not give any impression to the contrary in my write up.

the post of surgeon general is important.abroad it has always been PHYSICIANS...

But you forget to mention that the Secretary of Health is not a doctor; neither was Sebelius, her predecessor.However, NMA is quick to point to their exclusive right to the Surgeon General post (backed by US example) while insisting that doctors keep the Minister of Health (NOT what obtains in the US).

nobody is asking that johesu should not get a hazard allowance. that is not one of NMAs demands. please read them again.
every health worker should get a commensurate hazard allowance. NMA is not against that. please be informed.

It may not be intentional, but you're talking down to me here. You may be interested to note that I have lectured in a university for many years, and count among my friend and research collaborators over a dozen consultants. You say NMA is not against other unions getting N100k hazard allowance? The omens suggest differently, what with how central the issue of relativity is to the current crisis.

the post of CMD should be for physicians only...

I happen to agree with you, not because a contrary argument cannot be made, but, because knowing the caliber of people in JOHESU, the status quo makes more sense.

Long story short: as I stated in my original post, I agree with NMA on many issues, but I can also see 100% why the man on the street would feel the NMA comes across as a little arrogant and selfish.

Mishydoo:
And who says patients dnt care abt dia doctors....dey'll even fight ur course provided its devoid of selfish and meaningless demands.however they loose confidence when dey notice u care abt d cash more than them.

Sadly, the selfish ones here are the patients. How do you define a selfish request? Asking for more money to partially match the services you are rendering? This is not a selfish reason bro, doctors too feel the pangs of this harsh economy! Unfortunately, people expect them to suffer in silence and just carry on as if all is well.

Doctors have children they train in school, they have relatives they support.
Nigerian doctors give free medical advice, yet people don't appreciate them.
Some call rooms are so bad you can't rest there as a doctor- better to just nap it out aat the ARD lounge instead!

Why Nigerians are complaining now is because doctors have refused to be hoodwinked into abandoning the struggle and sheepishly marching to the hospitals to resume duty.

@proffemi,I appreciate ur intelligent input to this discussion. You write like a reasonable person,and that is why I'm bothering to clear your doubts about some of ur misgivings.
First of all, hazard allowance is uniform across board in d hospital, from doctor and nurse,who by the way bear the most brunt in terms of infectious diseases, to the admin staff sitting in airconditioned offices drinking coffee and going for lunch breaks. There is no relativity here. Both house officers and professors collect the same N5000. NMA wants an upward review for its members,which will invariably spill over to other health workers. You don't expect NMA to fight for JOHESU which was formed solely to oppose doctors.They should fight their own battles.
Secondly, NMA does not care who becomes Minister of Health as long as there's a Surgeon-General. If there's one, I believe even a political science graduate can be a health minister. Now the importance of Surgeon-G cannot be overemphasized. I believe Nigeria would have been better prepared for Ebola outbreak if we had one. You may wish to look up the functions of this position.
There has always been a director of admin in all hospitals, who does the adminstrative work. There are also heads of all units,including pharmacy,nursing,physiotherapy etc who are not medical doctors. Major contention is in the labs,where the lab scientists no longer want to be headed by the pathologist,as is currently the world standard. This has dire consequences, because the pathologist is regarded as the doctors' doctor, and is the final bus stop when it comes to diagnosis of diseases. Lab scientists are trained in the technical aspects of lab, and not the academic discipline. I believe they should go to d university as lecturers instead of trying to rub shoulders with the pathologist simply because they can carry out a test correctly.
Finally, I am of the opinion that the average Nigerian is too harsh on doctors. Our profession is not charity, if it were, why are doctors among the highest paid in the world? Why doesn't govt at least subsidize our school fees? Forget the story about govt paying for our residency. Ask d govt when last they budgeted for residency training. We r paid as normal civil servants because we do work commensurate with our level and even more. The hospital may pay for the courses we attend which is for about 2weeks per year and billed according to normal civil service estacode or exam fee if they have money,and if they don't they tell you so. Nobody pays for ur books or any extra you may require, no overtime payments and all that. We only asked for such payments for courses and exams(of course this is not yearly,in fact 2 times per college for the duration of the residency) to be factored into the budget,so that the hospital can pay as at when due, as well as a period of overseas training, so that we can at least see some of the things we only read about in books,and see in movies. Is that too much to ask for? I know a colleague who managed to get a scholarship to study overseas, and only asked for permission to go without pay since they refused to sponsor him,only for him to be sacked for absconding from duty. Such is the situation we find ourselves in.
This strike personally will not benefit me much in the short term,but will in the long run, because it has prolonged my postings and by implication, my due period for exams, but I believe strongly in this course and know it will ultimately translate to the good of all Nigerians.
Hope I didn't bore you with my long post.
Thanks for reading.

thank you chioma.let me add a few things.

proffemi: It may not be intentional, but you're talking down to me here. You may be interested to note that I have lectured in a university for many years, and count among my friend and research collaborators over a dozen consultants. You say NMA is not against other unions getting N100k hazard allowance? The omens suggest differently, what with how central the issue of relativity is to the current crisis.

how does it suggest differently. NMA has asked for an upward review for its members.NMA has never suggested that the same review not be applied to johesu.it is left for JOHESU ask for that.

it appears the term RELATIVITY is what you dont really understand.
all over the world,there is a relativity in the health sector.
in nigeria,the standard relativity is 4:2;1.6 for the doctor,pharmacist/lab techs/radio,nurses respectively as regards the entry point INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE.
it must be respected because we all do not have the same responsibility in the hospital.
in the radiology department,the radiographers are basically "photographers" and in some cases sonographers. they acquire the images.
THE RADIOLOGIST(who is the doctor) interpretes these images and makes a diagnosis.
surely you cant expect them to earn the same. never mind what you see in town where radiographers scan patients or read radiographs and make diagnosis. that is quackery.pure and simple and it happens because nigeria is a country of anything goes.
pharmacists dispense.thats all they do. the job description they are quick to throw in our faces is not even followed by them.no one has stopped them from following it BUT IT IS EASIER FOR THEM TO JUST DISPENSE AND EARN A SALARY AT THE END OF THE MONTH.EASY MONEY!
lab techs do the bench work in the labs but just like the radiographers,they get lab results BUT do not have the clinical training to tie it up with the patients symptoms,signs and radiological investigations.
the doctor is essentially the super-glue that ties everything up together and makes a final decision on the patient.that is quite some responsibility you must agree. so a relativity must exist. BUT what do we have now in nigeria? the relativity between the doctor and others has been eroded over years while doctors were busy reading big books.now we are in a fix. the wrong thing has gone on for so long that many young intern pharmacist or lab techs think it is normal for them to EARN THE SAME WITH A DOCTOR.


concerning the issue of secretary or minister of health, you are right. it should be headed by any health worker who has some degree of management training. that is why the NMA is asking for post of surgeon general.that post should be created to allow the responsibilities OF THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, THAT SHOULD BE HANDLED ONLY BY A DOCTOR(e.g public health issues),BE MANAGED UNDER A SEPARATE OFFICE.

chioma134: ...First of all, hazard allowance is uniform across board in d hospital, from doctor and nurse,who by the way bear the most brunt in terms of infectious diseases...

Secondly, NMA does not care who becomes Minister of Health as long as there's a Surgeon-General. If there's one, I believe even a political science graduate can be a health minister. Now the importance of Surgeon-G cannot be overemphasized...

Thanks for your post. I am happy with your views. Like I mentioned earlier, I have many consultant friends, and comments I heard from some of them gave me the impression that they were waiting in ambush for JOHESU to do "me too" on the increase in hazard allowance. I have no way of gauging where the majority of doctor stand on this, so I'll just choose to believe they'll share your views, both on hazard, and on the relaxation of the requirement that the Minister of Health be a doctor.

All the best in your exams.