Morotov1: If you learnt biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology and the rest which all encompassed into one takes a total of 12 years to complete in 3 years and even has the effrontery to call it extensively then you're one of the major pproblem we have in health sector.
On Nurse practitioners issue 18 state have given them independent, and some of them works in tertiary institution

he has the effontery because it was really extensive, stressful, painful and heartbreaking for so many. people ran mad reading... and i know how many times i finished the textbooks for the 3 courses in 2nd MBBS exam in less than 2yrs before facing the bloody exams with heavy casualties, and the emphasis is on humans... human biocehmistry, human physiology, human anatomy... not plants, goats, sheep and aliens ... in contrast, the year one program we shared with faculty of sciences was laboriously slow... chem 101 was a few pages in a book blown out of proportion and spread out to last a semester ...so many irrelevant details stretched out for miles which could have been better summarized... we were so bored we tore the place up and broke the record for A's... d days for results were always fun . if your brain no reach, say so and conveniently fail out like you probably did so that they can arrange one subcourse for you over 12yrs

armadeo:

What instated still encompasses what you have said. All the organizations you quoted are still apart of the medical team.

dnt shy away bro. . . . .
Is it medical minister or health minister?

PharmGreg:
can u please explain what the below means?
There shall be appointed
for the Agency by the
President, on the
recommendation of the
Minister, a Director-General
who shall be a person with
good knowledge of pharmacy, food and drugs.
.
After then ask urself how one can get a good knowledge of Pharmacy and drugs.

You left out food

PharmGreg:
dnt shy away bro. . . . .
Is it medical minister or health minister?

What is health? A health minister is in charge of a health related matters. So.....



You get my drift

armadeo:


You left out food

food?
A pharmacist can help alot when it comes to feed as related to NAFDAC.. .
.
Does jst being maybe a Nutritionist gives u a gud knwledge of Pharmacy and drugs?

bumfem:

Lier ,Lier !! Lier !!! Physiotherapists are neuro musculoskeletal practitonals. They have the right to practice independently in Nigeria and exwhere in gov't hospitals and physio own clinics . Patients see Physiotherapists by medical referrals or by self referrals. No law stops patients from see physio on first contact in nigeria. In Canada and exwhere across the globe Physiotherapists are designated primary health provider. I mean in Canada and,Aussie UK and many developed countries in the world .Physio status in these climes are not by fiat. It is a product of comprehensive empirical studies regards physio relevance and importance at primary health. It is also a function of robustness of physio training and scope especially in musckuloskeletals . They are only second to orthopeadic surgeon in ability and competence in identifying musculoskeletal diseases and movement disorder. So they are recognized in western world as first class physical diagnosticians in modern medical practice .

So we are not talking about claims born out of emotion and hate and not by serious empirical evidence . I notice you are ignorant of lots of thing outside your medicine. And pls retrain from reacting to every comment. We all know in parts. Do not be jack of all trade.

Just my 2 naira.

Elsewhere not exwhere.liar not lier,dont be offended pls

armadeo:

What is health? A health minister is in charge of a health related matters. So.....



You get my drift

all am tryna let u knw is dat the health minista doesnt only have duty towards the hospital but, also NAFDAC.
.
And NAFDAC is part(nt apart) of health sector pls and a very very important one because, . . . . . . . . . . One little mistake from there will likely murder thousands.
.
If u wish to get it straight, get it and murder that monster in u.

Morotov1: This is ego talking.....right because a physician trained and board certified will know that in treating anything joint, there is conservative, surgical and rehabilitation....so relying on only NSAIDS, STERIODS AND COX INHIBITORS is not a good management plan. Please, this is one of the global best practices we are begging for.

How does this represent ego?
What's the definitive treatment for knee osteoarthritis?it's knee replacement and it's done by surgeons.The conservative plan ur talking simply means pain relief and physiotherapy.To say physio is the mainstay is not right.Its surgery.when it can't be done u den resort to pain relief nd physiotherapy

PharmGreg:
all am tryna let u knw is dat the health minista doesnt only have duty towards the hospital but, also NAFDAC.
.
And NAFDAC is part of health sector pls.
.
If u wish to get it straight, get it and murder that monster in u.

Will they to respond to your last two posts here.


Post 1 neither does being a pharmacist give you a good knowledge of food. So who has some knowledge of all drugs food hospital health. Am sure you know who the current nafdac DG is.



Post 2 there is no monster in me. I such just say the facts as I see them. I assume you refer to the pride and arrogance that is said to be pathognomomic of Drs.

Its either the man is proud or people around have low self esteem. Not all drs are proud so it means that some others have low self esteem.

Pride isn't restricted to anyone its a human behaviour.

armadeo:


Will they to respond to your last two posts here.


Post 1 neither does being a pharmacist give you a good knowledge of food. So who has some knowledge of all drugs food hospital health. Am sure you know who the current nafdac DG is.



Post 2 there is no monster in me. I such just say the facts as I see them. I assume you refer to the pride and arrogance that is said to be pathognomomic of Drs.

Its either the man is proud or people around have low self esteem. Not all drs are proud so it means that some others have low self esteem.

Pride isn't restricted to anyone its a human behaviour.

Pharmacy will giv u a very good knowledge of both drug and Pharmacy. It wil also give u a good knowledge of food as related to their role in NAFDAC.
.
What's bringing hospital to being a DG of NAFDAC?
.
.
.
.
.
I never insinuated pride bt, greed.

PharmGreg:
Pharmacy will giv u a very good knowledge of both drug and Pharmacy. It wil also give u a good knowledge of food as related to their role in NAFDAC.
.
What's bringing hospital to being a DG of NAFDAC?
.
.
.
.
.
I never insinuated pride bt, greed.

You cannot hold more knowledge on food than the nutritionist. Even with nafdac.

The DG thing was a quip which you missed.

Greed. Now am interested care to expand on this.

armadeo:


You cannot hold more knowledge on food than the nutritionist. Even with nafdac.

The DG thing was a quip which you missed.

Greed. Now am interested care to expand on this.

please browse on the role of NAFDAC with respect to their department and then come back lets talk.

PharmGreg:
please browse on the role of NAFDAC with respect to their department and then come back lets talk.

Will do so.

Also waiting your response on greed

armadeo:


Will do so.

Also waiting your response on greed

on greed.
.
U dont want the others to head the hospital bt, u want to head NAFDAÇ. You dont also, want others to become ministers of which av showed u they are qualified to.
.
U want to have all to urself.
.
.
Sorry, if dat doesn't define ur greed anyway.

dumodust:

he has the effontery because it was really extensive, stressful, painful and heartbreaking for so many. people ran mad reading... and i know how many times i finished the textbooks for the 3 courses in 2nd MBBS exam in less than 2yrs before facing the bloody exams with heavy casualties, and the emphasis is on humans... human biocehmistry, human physiology, human anatomy... not plants, goats, sheep and aliens ... in contrast, the year one program we shared with faculty of sciences was laboriously slow... chem 101 was a few pages in a book blown out of proportion and spread out to last a semester ...so many irrelevant details stretched out for miles which could have been better summarized... we were so bored we tore the place up and broke the record for A's... d days for results were always fun . if your brain no reach, say so and conveniently fail out like you probably did so that they can arrange one subcourse for you over 12yrs

Oh noooo, that is not extensive. Earlier, before you gain admission for medicine you must have a degree in one of the basic medical science. Now telling me that human biochemistry, anatomy, microbiology, and physiology was done extensively for you in 2 years .....ooooo certainly yout don't know what extensive mean.

PharmGreg:
on greed.
.
U dont want the others to head the hospital bt, u want to head NAFDAÇ. You dont also, want others to become ministers of which av showed u they are qualified to.
.
U want to have all to urself.
.
.
Sorry, if dat doesn't define ur greed anyway.

The role of nafdac includes regulation of drugs cosmetics chemicals and water. Also consumables.

Role pertaining to which department so I don't stray.


Secondly my opinion on health minister and why is known.


Thirdly I didn't even know the DG of nafdac was a dr till recently. Believe it or not if his only qualification was prof of medicine I would join psn to picket fgn.

Nobogy ever said that nafdac must be headed by a dr. So we aren't greedy. He was qualified. Period.

drobadebayo:
Elsewhere not exwhere.liar not lier,dont be offended pls

Thank u on this. It was my tablet changing those spelling. I shall be looking out for such next time.

Thank u so much.

Morotov1: Oh noooo, that is not extensive. Earlier, before you gain admission for medicine you must have a degree in one of the basic medical science. Now telling me that human biochemistry, anatomy, microbiology, and physiology was done extensively for you in 2 years .....ooooo certainly yout don't know what extensive mean.

when i say extensive, i mean extensive.... its in the degree of work done...no semesters, no defined breaks, continous work, serial lab work, cadaver(dead body) dissection, scope finished, books read... exams = passed/failed/demoralized and so on. maybe you should buy a form and try to get in to see how it is. in nigeria, u may come with a degree or transfer from another course if exceptional with good cgpa. in united states, premed do short degree in biological sciences or anatomy(about 2-3yrs) before continuing with medicine. i guess its for them to have more academic career options or to have an alternate career if they dont make it . we had degree holders, some first class materials in my class and some didnt make it, many dropped out and this is just the first professional and simplest MB exam.
what else is your definition of extensive? some blokes read 4 yrs on handout without even knowing what's in standard books, take long breaks in between semesters... like i said, my year one was pure bliss, my last major holiday... people who got into medicine already knew what they were in for, it's sparta... that's you need high scores in entry exams to get in
NOTE: 2nd MB is 3 courses not 4 like you listed- its human anatomy, physiology and biochemistry.3rd MB(4th year) in my school was pathology and pharmacology plus your first long surgery and medical posting. pathology is the biggest- 10 courses under one umbrella and microbiology was one of them

bumfem:

Thank u on this. It was my tablet changing those spelling. I shall be looking out for such next time.

Thank u so much.

You'r welcome Sir

There is a thread going on in the health pages now that typifies what doctors are fighting against. It's called " Ask the pharmacist " or something like that. Yes he states he is a pharmacist but when people refer to him as Dr he never corrects them. Then someone wrote in saying they had eczema and he went ahead and prescribed Prednisolone one tablet a day, no duration, no exact dosage. First he didn't examine this patient to know if what the patient had was actually eczema knowing that the average Nigerian calls any unsightly rash eczema.
Is the patient to take 30 mg or 10 mg. what if this patient is also on any other steroid for any other reason, he doesn't know or care since doctors have threads hero she wants to prove pharmacists can do so too. He is also on that thread prescribing anti tuberculous drugs for a patient he has never seen or investigated.Now compare that to the doctors thread how many times do you see them actually prescribing drugs, they usually give general advise and tell you whom to see etc. it's usually some queers looking for relevance that come on those threads and prescribe. This is what JOHESU wants us to sit back and allow to be legalized. When the person uses the Prednisolone and has complications which fool is expected to clean up the mess. Your guess is as good as mine.

dumodust:
when i say extensive, i mean extensive.... its in the degree of work done...no semesters, no defined breaks, continous work, serial lab work, cadaver(dead body) dissection, scope finished, books read... exams = passed/failed/demoralized and so on. maybe you should buy a form and try to get in to see how it is. in nigeria, u may come with a degree or transfer from another course if exceptional with good cgpa. in united states, premed do short degree in biological sciences or anatomy(about 2-3yrs) before continuing with medicine. i guess its for them to have more academic career options or to have an alternate career if they dont make it . we had degree holders, some first class materials in my class and some didnt make it, many dropped out and this is just the first professional and simplest MB exam.
what else is your definition of extensive? some blokes read 4 yrs on handout without even knowing what's in standard books, take long breaks in between semesters... like i said, my year one was pure bliss, my last major holiday... people who got into medicine already knew what they were in for, it's sparta... that's you need high scores in entry exams to get in
NOTE: 2nd MB is 3 courses not 4 like you listed- its human anatomy, physiology and biochemistry.3rd MB(4th year) in my school was pathology and pharmacology plus your first long surgery and medical posting. pathology is the biggest- 10 courses under one umbrella and microbiology was one of them

Don't quote that premed here because it is far from it. A first degree in anything can enter medicine in US with a good MCAT score which comprises of some human biology, organic chemistry, general physics etc just like we take jamb here. Normally takes six months or more to get from a community college including your bacalareuate degree it serves as a prerequisite.
Emphasising why your training is so hard and mind-boggling in comparison to others is making medicine a ridiculous joke.
Dora Akunyili was once a consultant pharmacologist, so are you going to tell me that your six months of pharmacology is more rigorous than what she spend a good number of years studying.
Get down from your high horse ...

Morotov1: Don't quote that premed here because it is far from it. A first degree in anything can enter medicine in US with a good MCAT score which comprises of some human biology, organic chemistry, general physics etc just like we take jamb here. Normally takes six months or more to get from a community college including your bacalareuate degree it serves as a prerequisite.
Emphasising why your training is so hard and mind-boggling in comparison to others is making medicine a ridiculous joke.
Dora Akunyili was once a consultant pharmacologist, so are you going to tell me that your six months of pharmacology is more rigorous than what she spend a good number of years studying.
Get down from your high horse ...

Dora was a professor of pharmacy in UNN and head of NAFDAC, i'm not aware that she was a consultant pharmacist, it is supposed to be an appointment and not acquired. 'Medical' pharmacology is not pharmacy so no basis for comparison... pharmacy certainly has other courses that involve how to produce drugs, dispense etc etc that will certainly take longer than your time interval. And pharmacology in my med school was not done in six months, dont know were you get your info from because i didnt say so, can obviously see you are not in this country or familiar with programme here. The courses ran concurrently for 1-2yrs with your clinical posting etc... and any point in time, your are reading more than one or 2 courses and doing some postings... no high horse here, just relaying information.... the same way u talk about U.S, i dont have detailed info about there premed system anyway.
wonder why u think there's a high horse
wetin u read self?

dumodust:
Dora was a professor of pharmacy in UNN and head of NAFDAC, i'm not aware that she was a consultant pharmacist, it is supposed to be an appointment and not acquired. 'Medical' pharmacology is not pharmacy so no basis for comparison... pharmacy certainly has other courses that involve how to produce drugs, dispense etc etc that will certainly take longer than your time interval. And pharmacology in my med school was not done in six months, dont know were you get your info from because i didnt say so, can obviously see you are not in this country or familiar with programme here. The courses ran concurrently for 1-2yrs with your clinical posting etc... and any point in time, your are reading more than one or 2 courses and doing some postings... no high horse here, just relaying information.... the same way u talk about U.S, i dont have detailed info about there premed system anyway.
wonder why u think there's a high horse
wetin u read self?

Please check out Dora's portfolio.

Morotov1: Please check out Dora's portfolio.

ok... i'm sure you meant her profile not portfolio
anyway, below is what i saw on wikipaedia and i'm guessing that's where u got the info
[/quote]Dr. (Mrs.) Dora Nkem Akunyili, who assumed office on the 12th of April 2001, as the Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), is a Pharmacist, Pharmacologist, Erudite Scholar, Seasoned Administrator, and a visionary leader. She was a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Pharmacologist in the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (U.N.N.), Enugu Campus, before she became the NAFDAC boss[/quote]
i'm not taking anything away from Dora, but number one, this profile is not up to date... she was a professor. secondly, the senior lecturer and professors are the recognised university appointments. I'm yet to meet a consultant pharmacologist, and consultant positions are for either hospital appointments(maybe UNTH not UNN, not sure but it may not have been possible then) industrial or contractual for organisations.
wikipaedia is open to all for editing, so even wrong info dey there.
now the link below seems more authoritative...read it
http://www.doraakunyilionline.org/

dumodust:
ok... i'm sure you meant her profile not portfolio
anyway, below is what i saw on wikipaedia and i'm guessing that's where u got the info
Dr. (Mrs.) Dora Nkem Akunyili, who assumed office on the 12th of April 2001, as the Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), is a Pharmacist, Pharmacologist, Erudite Scholar, Seasoned Administrator, and a visionary leader. She was a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Pharmacologist in the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (U.N.N.), Enugu Campus, before she became the NAFDAC boss
i'm not taking anything away from Dora, but number one, this profile is not up to date... she was a professor. secondly, the senior lecturer and professors are the recognised university appointments. I'm yet to meet a consultant pharmacologist, and consultant positions are for either hospital appointments(maybe UNTH not UNN, not sure but it may not have been possible then) industrial or contractual for organisations.
wikipaedia is open to all for editing, so even wrong info dey there.
now the link below seems more authoritative...read it
http://www.doraakunyilionline.org/

She was before the advent of recent withdrawal of the consultancy post and before her appointment as NAFDAC boss. Do not downplay the fact, the site you pasted confirmed that she was appointed consultant in 1996 at UNN college of medicine.

Morotov1: She was before the advent of recent withdrawal of the consultancy post and before her appointment as NAFDAC boss. Do not downplay the fact, the site you pasted confirmed that she was appointed consultant in 1996 at UNN college of medicine.

nobody's downplaying it, was never aware there was or she held such a post in UNN, and not UNTH...hmmmm...ok

dumodust:
Dora was a professor of pharmacy in UNN and head of NAFDAC, i'm not aware that she was a consultant pharmacist, it is supposed to be an appointment and not acquired. 'Medical' pharmacology is not pharmacy so no basis for comparison... pharmacy certainly has other courses that involve how to produce drugs, dispense etc etc that will certainly take longer than your time interval. And pharmacology in my med school was not done in six months, dont know were you get your info from because i didnt say so, can obviously see you are not in this country or familiar with programme here. The courses ran concurrently for 1-2yrs with your clinical posting etc... and any point in time, your are reading more than one or 2 courses and doing some postings... no high horse here, just relaying information.... the same way u talk about U.S, i dont have detailed info about there premed system anyway.
wonder why u think there's a high horse
wetin u read self?

Pharmacology isn't Pharmacy but, one of the sons of Pharmacy.

Naija Nurses Forum

Igbojionu Ijeoma Joy >
Pls what is d best treatment to a 14wks primip who complains of having lower uterine contraction

Edafeadhe Onome:
Now that the doctors are on strike what will you do? Are you going to their houses and call them that a patient is having pre-term contractions. Say something reasonable.
This is the opportunity Nurses
have to prove their worth in the hospital.
Thanks for all your
contributions. What of Ergometrin or dexamethasone. These drugs helps to reduce spasms.

drcakes: Naija Nurses Forum

Igbojionu Ijeoma Joy >
Pls what is d best treatment to a 14wks primip who complains of having lower uterine contraction

Edafeadhe Onome:
Now that the doctors are on strike what will you do? Are you going to their houses and call them that a patient is having pre-term contractions. Say something reasonable.
This is the opportunity Nurses
have to prove their worth in the hospital.
Thanks for all your
contributions. What of Ergometrin or dexamethasone. These drugs helps to reduce spasms.

You're now a troll hmmmm.....like the supposed nurse you quoted.
How sure are you that the post you quoted is from a registered nurse and not the nurses trained by your kith and kin. Trying so hard to ridicule the nursing profession won't get us anywhere because people will be quick to judge the nurse as an auxiliary trained by the noble NMA members.

After reading through the article by Alli John Adeolu, Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist of God knows where, I couldn't help but punch my keyboard in response to his distortion of facts. There will have been no need for a reply if it were only for his low quality unreferenced write up. NMA raised 24 demands, but for reasons best known to him, he decided to chose only 4.

I think there is no need for me to respond to the jaundiced comparison of Doctors to either our colonialists/imperialists or Boko Haram, that will be too childish. If one finds it difficult to differentiate civility from primitiveness and started comparing Nigerian Doctors with murderous groups, then I guess it is a waste of intellectual calorie to try to reply.

Chief, doctors are not superior to other health workers because the former spent 6 years in undergraduate school, sam sam. Professional superiority arises because of competitive knowledge advantage and nothing else. Even if you extend the study of medical laboratory science to 10 years, its certificate cannot be equivalent to that of MBBS because the curriculum differs, their roles differ. It is not a matter of theology; belief or unbelief.

The FMOH of Nigeria doesn't have directories, but rather directorates and they are 8 and not at least 5 and they are not all headed by Doctors. According to Presidential Committee on a Harmonious Work Relationship Amongst Health Workers and Amongst Professional Groups in the Health Sector chaired by Hon. Justice Bello A. Gusau, "By its approved structure, the Federal Ministry of Health has eight Departments, namely: Department of Human Resources; Department of Finance & Accounts; Department of Planning, Research & Statistics; Department of Procurement; Department of Hospital Services; Department of Public Health; Department of Family Health and the Department of Food & Drugs Services. Of the four Professional Departments, three are headed by medical practitioners while one is headed by a health professional who is not a medical practitioner." Do you propose a JOHESU to head Hospital Services, Public Health or Family Health?

Yes the CMD and the CMAC are doctors, but you failed to mention the latter is a director of clinical services representing all the clinical departments with a single vote just like the director of administration, director of Nursing etc. The CMD is a Doctor because the law said so, you can always go to court if you are not happy about that. No, Doctor mustn't head medical lab scientist, but a Doctor must head clinical laboratory. If you decide to open your private lab, no Doctor will lord over you, but then he won't use results.

Truth is Doctors don't hate you guys to have increase in salary, but their must be relativity otherwise what is the essence of adding quality to patient care? Wages are paid based on intellectual input here on earth, I don't know of other planets. No Sir, thats incorrect, Doctors do not earn a minimum of N250,000 in Federal Institutions and a very senior consultant N500,000. Either you didn't see the circular or you are distorting it. Wouldn't it have been easier to just reproduce it here and compare CONMESS and CONHESS, to see who is cheating who?

I want to believe even a junior staff knows salary is divided in to basic salary and allowances. Federal Ministry of Education pays lecturer-Doctors basic salary while Federal Ministry of Health pays them call and specialist allowance. Does that constitute double salary? You see, don't dabble in to something you have no knowledge of. Have you ever read the responsibility of a Consultant? Do you imagine the fellowship is just for his immediate environment and his services not required in the periphery? Please check the geographical radius a consultant is suppose to rotates.

Since you are not a constitutional lawyer, why don't you allow a competent court of law interprets what medically qualified means. Shikenan. You insinuated medically qualified applies to you, thats delusional. Read the act for the appointment of CMD again or get a translation.

You carelessly define the word consultant without a single reference in the hope the gullible and lazy populace wont crosscheck. Both Advanced learners English dictionary and Merriam Webster dictionary have two similar definitions for the word. As per the latter thus;
1. A person who gives professional advice or services to companies for a fee.
2. A hospital Doctor of the highest rank who is an expert in a particular area of medicine.

Let me attempt to explain one demand called consultant/specialist in clinical practice. In summary all doctors have the basic undergraduate degree called MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery); which of cos currently is a misnomer since the course covers many specialties apart from the traditional Medicine and Surgery. In those days doctors were either physicians or Barbers (Surgeons). Now after the basic degree, you can divide doctors broadly in to two; Medical Officers and Consultants/Specialists. In between you have House Officers/interns and Residents (Specialists in training). To be a specialist, requires an average of 6 years in an accredited health institutions. Ours is not the traditional PhD cos of the complexity of human diseases and the need for clinical knowledge. Thus it is a unique training combining theory and clinical skills at the same time. Example, one cannot have a PhD in Neurology, in fact its impossible cos of the numerous neurological conditions afflicting human populace ranging from infectious, inflammatory, degenerative, neoplastic, traumatic, metabolic etc with further subdivisions. Another example, one will attempt to have PhD in a degenerative disease called Dementia. I say attempt cos its not even practicable due to its numerous causes. To be a Neurologist, one must be drilled first in all medical specialties for at least 24 months and then in human neurological clinical conditions in the remaining time including a thesis in one of the entity. The other arm is Medical Officer who chose not to specialize rather improve themselves either through academic degrees or just progressed through conventional civil service. The hierarchy is thus in descending order; Consultant > Residents > Medical Officers > House Officers in terms of professionalism and quality of patient care. Specialists are suppose to see complicated cases or those with potentials to cause complications and or cases requiring advance care; there is no need for a consultant to see controlled uncomplicated hypertension or diabetes mellitus, uncomplicated malaria, typhoid, pulmonary tuberculosis etc. Now is it fair to compare a medical consultant with someone who did 3 year diploma course with 1-2 year post basic studies or even that with academic PhD? In the tertiary hospital, a Consultant is the final refined touch of any patient management. He owns the patient, leads the unit, teaches medical students and mentor residents. So if someone say has an MSc in iron deficiency anaemia and PhD in hemoglobinopathies (assuming not just theoretical academic degrees), will he then be appointed as a Senior Resident and Consultant Hematologist respectively? What if someone present with hemophilia or leukemia? Ok I hear you say no big deal, there are others that will specialize in those areas. That is correct, but how many consultants are you going to have in hematology, 1000? Thus in a hospital you will need like 500,000 consultants to manage just one centre! This of course is not practicable and that is why medical postgraduate training is very different and unique. It may interest you to know Medical Officers whatever their qualifications or years of experience are not candidates for CMD in the tertiary institution or even the secondary centers in the presence of a consultant. Again the position of a consultant itself has legal implications when it comes to litigation, autopsy or as expert witness. Patient care is under the consultant playing the central role not because of anything but for his strategic knowledge advantage. There is no need for a consultant to be in the primary health centres. So if the FG appoints other health workers as medical consultants, imagine the confusion. What role will they play, what value will they add to patient care? Let me elaborate on this, a lab scientist will insist a patient to use an antimicrobial drug based on laboratory drug sensitivity pattern irrespective of clinical outcome whereas a Consultant Medical Microbiologist or Physician will not so long the patient is responding to the initial empirical drug treatment even if the pathogen shows antimicrobial resistance on the plate. Another example is physician will not treat as emergency isolated case of hyperkalemia without cardiovascular examination and ECG even if scientist suggested such. Chest pain with rise in cardiac enzymes doesn't necessarily mean Myocardial Infarction.

There is an old age rivalry between Doctors and other health workers that can be traced right from undergraduate level. You may not have noticed it or probably studied outside the country, but it was there. Not only among them but surprisingly even among lawyers. There is this childish debate about who is learned. This gradually turned in to envy and now dangerously in to enmity. Just read their comments, articles or interviews, you can't possibly missed the unmistakable deep seated frustration and hatred. People have no qualms spreading falsehood among unsuspecting populace just for financial gains. The funniest thing is that those people bring their family and relatives to see Doctors (they never entrust such burden on their colleagues) and the elite promoting the discord all have Personal Physicians. Am not aware of personal this or personal that, but then I know very little. Again when you go to the private clinic and NGOs, everybody conforms to ethics, isn't it a wonder? Why then do we have confusion only in the tertiary health institutions? Everything is about money. Ok suppose one of them is appointed a consultant, what will be his job description, what input will he make in patient care? Some even want to be appointed directors at grade level 17, imagine. As a Doctor with MBBS my entry point is grade level 12 and 15 as a specialist, imagine how many directors a teaching hospital will have in the next 6 years or so. What will happen to other civil servants who have reached level 17 but not yet directors? What will happen to other workers with same qualifications who are not even suppose to reach directorate level?

You seem to be fascinated with USA and UK model of health system where you were eager to emphasize the qualification of hospital CEOs. Yes they do have non Doctors as ministers of health, but you failed to say they equally have office of the Surgeon General and Chief Medical Officer as well. Ironically you are not that keen to borrow their leaf on privatization of hospitals because of cost, but in actuality it is the fear of loosing your fight. Why not go all the way and clone their system here? You have to understand theirs is a capitalist economy and thus putting a non Doctor up there doesn't mean anything. A Doctor will always put patient first in his policy, obviously this is against the fundamental of capitalism.

By Ibrahim Toli

This is the original oath nurses take at their induction into the profession.
I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly to pass my life in purity and to practise my profession faithfully.
I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.
I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.
With loyalty will I aid the physician in his work, and as a missioner of health, I will dedicate myself to devoted service for human welfare.[1]
Florence nightingale will be weeping at this her disloyal descendants who have fought to remove the part on loyalty to physicians and have gone further to fight physician in a union of rebels called johesu.