It is 16 days since the Nigerian Medical Association called out its members on a total and indefinite strike. In the
course of that period, the death toll at most of the government-owned hospitals has risen. Families of patients who
could afford treatment at private hospitals within and outside of the country have had to take the painful option of
seeking help there. Those who have no money resorted to faith clinics, herbal homes or simply entrusted their fate in
the hands of ‘chemists’ and ‘pharmacists’, some of whom are charlatans.
Many commentators have poured invective on Nigerian doctors for their decision to embark on the strike. I actually
hold an opposing view to this. I blame the government. The question we need to ask our imperial government is why
it fails to implement agreement reached previously with the doctors? Why the perpetual poor funding of the social
sector like education and health? Why has the National Assembly failed to pass the National Health Bill?
The health statistics in Nigeria are saddening. The prospect of the country meeting any of the health-related
Millennium Development Goals in 2015, which is only a few months from now, is dim. What with the high incidence of
maternal and child mortality, the inability to roll back malaria after many years of the campaign, the needless deaths
from preventable diseases like cholera and dysentery as well as the inability to eradicate polio. According to Angela
Adeboye in a July 6, 2014 Thi sDay article, titled, The Paradox of Nigerian Health care, “The World Health Organisation
ranks the Nigerian health care system amongst the worst in the world. Specifically, its most recent report places
Nigeria at the 187th position of 190 countries. This is only ahead of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central
Africa Republic and Myanmar. Even Zimbabwe and Burundi, which are amongst the poorest countries of the world,
rank at least 30 places ahead of Nigeria. Yet, Nigeria has the largest Gross Domestic Product on the continent and
many significant mineral resources.”
Instructively, the Nigerian government has refused to fix the rot in the country’s health sector because its officials are
able to access the best medicare abroad at the country’s expense. Even their medical check-ups are done overseas
which says a lot about their disdain and distrust for the country’s medical services.
Many private citizens have had to seek medical assistance in India, Egypt, Europe and America all because our
government failed woefully to put the needed infrastructure in place to provide word class health care services for its
citizens. This is not a rocket science; but corruption and selfishness will not allow our own government to do it.
South Africa offered the best medical facilities to Nelson Mandela at home all the period he was sick till his death.
Fidel Castro of Cuba is being treated in-country while he battles his debilitating terminal sickness. In Nigeria, even
local government chairmen and councillors use public funds to access health care services abroad let alone the big
‘ogas’ at the state and federal levels.
The malaise plaguing our health sectors are numerous and well-documented. Top of which is the lack of adequate
funding. Others include defective policy guidelines and legislation; insufficient infrastructure and equipment; a dearth
of manpower; corruption and insecurity, among others. It is long overdue for the National Assembly to pass the
National Health Bill pending before it since the inauguration of the current legislature in June 2011. Three years down
the line, the bill has yet to be passed. The passage of this all-important regulatory framework is among the 24 points
demand currently being made by the NMA on government.
Other requests include the Universal Health Coverage to cover 100 per cent of Nigerians and not 30 per cent as
currently prescribed by the National Health Insurance Scheme; appointment of Surgeon General of the Federation; the
need for government to set up a health trust fund that will enhance the upgrading of all hospitals in Nigeria and that
the position of Chief Medical Director/Medical Director must continue to be occupied by a Medical Doctor as contained
in the Act establishing the tertiary hospitals. The doctors are also demanding an upward review of some allowances
and payment of certain benefits. These are normal demands which if addressed will make our health providers to give
their best. If truth must be told, doctors in government hospitals are overworked and face a lot of risks including
physical assault by relatives of patients.
We must be mindful of the fact that failure on the part of government to frontally tackle the challenges of the health
sector has led to brain drain as many of these health professionals have either left the country for greener pastures
abroad while others have left medical practice entirely for more rewarding vocations like politics and working for local
and international non-governmental organisations. There is no gainsaying that there currently exists a frosty
relationship between medical and non-medical staff in public owned hospitals. This rivalry is unhealthy. Nurses,
pharmacists, laboratory scientists and other ancillary staff in the health sector should recognise the primacy of the
doctor as the head of medical institutions. This however does not diminish the importance of the roles played by non-
medical staff, because the neck and other parts of the body are as vital as the head.
As reported by this newspaper on Tuesday, though government is owing doctors about N6.7bn in accumulated
entitlements, the striking doctors through their president, Dr. Kayode Obembe, said the real bone of contention was
not money but the decision of the Federal Government to throw open the headship of hospitals to those it described
as non-medical doctors. Obembe was quoted as saying that, “Relativity and skipping are not negotiable; these must
be resolved or doctors will not return to work. The tradition of medicine is being challenged dangerously in this
country. That is the major issue and not money.” My appeal is that the Federal Government through the Minister of
Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, needs to bring all the feuding parties to a roundtable, if possible with the leadership of
the National Assembly, so that the leadership tussle is resolved once and for all. The arrears of all benefits being
owed the doctors should also be paid without further delay while the doctors themselves should show sympathy for
the suffering masses who are at the receiving end of this industrial action and return to work while these issues are
being resolved.

http://www.punchng.com/opinion/striking-doctors-and-irresponsible-government/

The MBBS curriculum doesn't give the Physician an administrative qualification.

Pharmacists are charlatans ?? Smh ofcourse all other health professionals are charlatans xcept NMA. Ur post is obviously biased and lack insight. Hav u ever bothered to ask urself y d health bill has not been passed?