I really share in JOHESU sentiments, however let me shed some light on the issues at hand ; In Ngeria post graduate residency training OF Drs takes atleast 4years and these drs are thereafter called laboratory physicians if they specialze in lab medicine. Remember during their undergraduate years they did alot of laboratory medicine and the curriculum is same as the one use for B.Sc students though with emphasis on clinical medicine. IN TIME PAST when laboratory physicians were scarce to come by those with B.Sc assumed the headship of the Labs but now the world is fast changing and medicine is also evolving with more emphasis on specialization. In the international scene, public medical laboratories are overseen by consultants pathologist and not medical lab scientist a name which is wrongly used in our clime because only PhD holders are qualified to be so called. The act establishing the MEDICAL AND DENTAL COUNCIL OF NIGERIA in early 1960s was reviewed at about 1992 giving the MDCN additional powers to regulate laboratory practise in both private and public hospitals in nigeria. This gives doctors every rights to head the laboratories in hospitals based on specialization. Interms of consultants in hospitals remember until an employer engages you as one you can not be so addressed despite your qualifications.Members of JOHESU were not engaged as consultants ab initio by the hospital likewise resident doctors, that is why resident doctors are not permanent staffs of the hospital, only specialist who have been so engaged. It is therefore absurd for a resident doctor or members of other allied profession to ask that they be made consultants as part of their career progression, it amounts to shifting the post while the game is still on. NOTE that though the WACN (west african college of nursin)and WAPCP (west african college of pharmacy)are located in same address with WACP/WACS ( college of physician/surgeon)(6 Tailor drive yaba Lagos) yet the certificates of fellowship they award can not be graded as equal. IT takes 2 years to be awarded the fellowship of WACN OR WAPCP while it takes a minimum of 4years and up to 10 years to be awarded fellowship of WACP/S especially when the dr have to subspecialize. That is why the fellowship certificates of dr can be use to obtain a place in the university as lecturer 1 and rise to become a professor without any other postgraduate qualifications but publications . This is so in other commonwealth countries because the content of a medical doctor"s postgraduate residency training is more advance than a PhD programme. hence the fellowship of WACN or WAPCP which are not considered by universities cannot be compared with that of the college of physicians or surgeons because they are basically professional awards. Remember in the UK holders of the fellowship of the royal college of nursing are not appointed consultants rather there are called nurse practitioners. in the US consultant nurses are not part of public or private hospital setting but are individuals who are consulted by legal firms to help explain and analyze medical write-ups, still in the US a consultant pharmacist is not part of the hospital setting but a private individual engaged in old peoples home while a health system pharmacist is one in the hospital medical team having finished post graduate residency.there are never addressed as CONSULTANTS. Infact in developed countries the use of the title DR by non clinicians is not allowed even if the person has strings of PhDs. The whole thing is to ensure that patient management is not compromised and a command line is maintained. Unfortunately a recent circular by the FMOH stipulates specialist allowance to every member of JOHESU who have risen to grade level 12. ironically this is going to affect the desire to specialize by dr because it belittles specialization, this allowance was meant for consultants physicians or surgeons who are commenced at about grade level 15, hence if every one else earns it why not drs in grade level 12 and above which is one of the demands of NMA.. Eventually there will be dearth of specialist in our hospital since less drs will enter into residency BUT rather prefer being empolyed as MEDICAL officers where they will easily get to GL 12 without passing through the stress of residency training. It is pathetic when members of JOHESU like pharmacist claim that every member of the medical team is equal, that means they can relegate their place for ward orderlies to lead them. In as much as the care of patients is a team work there must be a team leader, and that leader is one whose knowledge about everyother allied profession is versatile; THE MEDICAL DOCTOR. Doctors can not be blamed for poor management of hospital its a general problem, what are we going to say about other govt agencies which have failed? were they managed by doctors or administrators whom JOHESU so favoured?. Let it be known that recent studies comparing the state of physician managed hospitals with non physicians managed hospital in the US concluded that physicians managed hospital did better than non physician managed hospital hence there is a gradual drive to return management of hospitals to physicians. NiGERIA can not be moving backward when the world is moving forward.The solution in this regards is to equip the physician as the head of hospitals which is a perculiar environment requiring one with knowledge of clinical skills and administration.NOTE the Director general of WHO from inception has always remained Drs, all the present deputy DGs of WHO are DOCTORS and for all the current regional directors only one person is of another profession so we cant say drs are not good managers. LETS stop politicizing nigerians health because of personal ego, let every health worker be conversant with his or her job and recognize his/her limit, let everyone value what he/she is contributing to patient care.We should accept positive change because change is inevitable.Members of JOHESU can agitate for other things but not to be seen as Drs. Culled from the punch newspaper bein comment by "IB"

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