Wetin concern agbero with overload? This one na FG's problem, not Lagos'.

The Lagos state government has a right to determine what it can afford to give the doctors on behalf of Lagosians who voted overwelmingly for the current government. Any employee that feels s/he deserves better should find another place to work. Afterall, the health sector is not a monopoly.

oyb: http://chocolatechutzpah./2012/05/18/when-doctors-weep

After reading this many on this thread will still live in denial.

All of This is just Madness! Mr Fashola shd pls refund all the tax I have paid so far towards healthcare. All this ego-tripping is sickening. I dunno who is all fault Here but I can only hold the govt I pay tax to responsible for not providing health care as promised
Meanwhile I hear the gov has flown his father abroaad for medical treatment while leaving us the masses to contend with the "greedy" docs . . . Something shd be done ASAP in the best interest of the masses who really need this cheap healthcare. I just find it strange that these so called masses are supporting the govt not realizing they we are the ones being cheated here, some people don't even knw their rights

Chinedudele: Mind you, Fashola' decision to sack the doctors is not silly. The doctors should value human life than their silly demands. It is in Nigeria people go on strike unnecessarily. There is no where in the world doctors just down tool because of money not considering human life involve. [B]I like to commend the courage of the governor in sacking the doctors and employing replacement immediately[/B]. I sincerely love that,. gone are the days when doctors strike shivers everybody. I think this is a lesson to others..

If Fashola the custodian of lives in Lagos had valued it, they would have had no reason to go on strike. I PUT IT TO YOU THAT YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN FASHOLA BY YOUR STATEMENT BOLDENED BECAUSE IF YOU ARE, YOU WOULD KNOW THAT EXPERIENCE IS KEY IN THIS PROFESSION. YOUR MAJOR PROBLEM IS JEALOUSY AND NOTHING MORE.

Biggyd2:
Exactly my take on this. Why wont this doctors go abroad were they are appreciated. Where for example they dont need to use touch lights to operate on patients. When we all start feeling their loss, maybe just maybe we would appreciate them a little more.

And instead of government to try to see how best they can encourage them to stay back in Nigeria they are acting otherwise and some silly ones are hailing the government. Yet, there was a time they said they wanted to plead with doctors abroad to come back home is that possible? Come back home to do what? To beg to earn their salaries where here they are very well paid and highly respected

ekt_bear:

If the FG passes a law that the national minimum wage is X, then there is absolutely nothing Fashola can do, is it? Unless he wants to violate existing law.




What on earth are you talking about? This isn't anything abstract about government maximizing enjoyment.

This is an employer trying to maximize the amount of healthcare it can provide subject to some budgetary constraints. What is the connection between this and "big boys are enjoying"?

A couple of weeks ago, I was shopping for a programmer to complete a job for me. I posted an advertisement, and was able to find someone who met my standards but who also came very cheap ($6/hour). Would I also be tyrannical or like GEJ and the PDP if I chose the cheaper guy who can supply the labor I want to buy rather than the other people who also placed bids for this job at $12, $14, $16/hour?

Why on earth shouldn't I (or any employer for that matter) be free to hire who I like, at the rate I like?

Someone kindly explain to me why an employer cannot decide who he gets to employ, and at what rate.

Can you see you are just an hypocrite talking from both sides of the mouth

snookies: All of This is just Madness! Mr Fashola shd pls refund all the tax I have paid so far towards healthcare. All this ego-tripping is sickening. I dunno who is all fault Here but I can only hold the govt I pay tax to responsible for not providing health care as promised
Meanwhile I hear the gov has flown his father abroaad for medical treatment while leaving us the masses to contend with the "greedy" docs . . . Something shd be done ASAP in the best interest of the masses who really need this cheap healthcare. I just find it strange that these so called masses are supporting the govt not realizing they we are the ones being cheated here, some people don't even knw their rights

Is Health Care truly cheap? This is where the National Health Insurance Scheme should come in. Health is not cheap and the best we can do is for govt to enforce everyone to get Health Insurance and that way it helps spread the burden over everyone both the healthy and the sick.
Addressing the doctors as being greedy is just an unfair statement to satisfy your ego. I am so sure you work and you want to be paid what is due to you. Therefore, if you protest when being cheated does it mean you are greedy? Let us please be objective at least for once.

can u see another anti-information guy,yet he seems like an exposed guy.
ekt_bear the federal govt has passed a law stating the minimum value of X.....IT IS CALLED CONMESS!!!
have u bothered to even research the particulars of this imbroglio or have u just come here to pontificate abt d free market society?

GboyegaD:

Is Health Care truly cheap? This is where the National Health Insurance Scheme should come in. Health is not cheap and the best we can do is for govt to enforce everyone to get Health Insurance and that way it helps spread the burden over everyone both the healthy and the sick.
Addressing the doctors as being greedy is just an unfair statement to satisfy your ego. I am so sure you work and you want to be paid what is due to you. Therefore, if you protest when being cheated does it mean you are greedy? Let us please be objective at least for once.

thanks for your insight. people work when they are paid simple. These doctors provide a service Thats it. Would i saY the bus driver is wicked cos i can't afford his fares. Doctors are also living breathing beings. They have needs like you. Also feel for them. They eat, sleep and poo like you. They also say Bills.

I read some dude complaining that if was charged an absurd amount for tooth work and i lol cos no.one put a gun to his head and said you must have this done. I thank God he could afford the service. Pls its the ordinary lagos that is suffering. Whom do you hold responsible.

afrodoc: can u see another anti-information guy,yet he seems like an exposed guy.
ekt_bear the federal govt has passed a law stating the minimum value of X.....IT IS CALLED CONMESS!!!
have u bothered to even research the particulars of this imbroglio or have u just come here to pontificate abt d free market society?

Where is the law saying that Lagos State must implement CONMESS?

Are you sure that it doesn't apply only for FEDERAL workers, not state workers?

If the Lagos government is violating the law by not passing CONMESS, then presumably someone would have taken them to court already....

Kindly provide evidence that Lagos's actions are illegal.

http://mobile.saharareporters.com/news-page/lagos-doctors-strike-escalate-federal-colleagues-warm-join

In September 2009, following several years of negotiations between the Nigerian Medical Association and the Federal Government, the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale circular SWC/S/04/S.410/220 was released by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission. The main principle of CONMESS is to serve as a minimum universal scale of remuneration for all doctors in Nigeria regardless of location or employer, in order to curb internal brain drain. CONMESS is also intended to correct the wage disparity that has seen doctors’ salaries being progressively reduced relative to other professionals over the years following repeated wage reviews.

Does this "circular" have the same legal force as a law passed by the federal government?

Circular suggests advisory, not mandatory.

If advisory, then LASG is under no obligation to implement it...

If anyone else has evidence that not implementing CONMESS fully is illegal, kindly provide it here.

but the NSIWC was established by a Legislative Act,so its decisions have parliamentary backing! so disobeying such is illegal.
bear in mind that the NSIWC arrived at CONMESS after due consultation with the states in committees in which all the states were represented by the states heads of service and perm secs of selected ministries.

Post the full CONMESS here, show us that not implementing it fully is illegal.

NSIWC being established by legislative act doesn't mean that its decisions are binding. If they say that in Lagos State, everyone must buy a pet frog, this won't necessarily have the force of law.

Anyway, if anyone believes that Lagos is violating the law by not implementing it, then they should take LASG to court.

emelo(how many times).like i said u didnt bother doing ur research.they were taken to court in past years when they first refused outright to pay CONMESS and then offered 75%.the court case was one of d reasons why they decided to SIGN AN AGREEMENT to pay CONMESS IN FULL last year.

*shrug*

Well, then let them be taken to court again.

looooool
its actually funny how u respond when ur points r defeated.u r obviously here to push ur capitalist agenda and have no knowledge of the remote causes of the problem or even d present state of things.u r a most misinformed capitalist sir!
ok since it seems u r unaware (this present case....d illegal sacking of doctors) is already in court.
u r d grandmaster of d lodge of goalpost shifters
u said it wasn't illegal to deprive d doctors of conmess,u were shown why it is illegal u shifted goalpost to "they should sue them"
u were informed that they had been sued in d past and dt this contributed to d signed agreement on CONMESS so now u hav shifted goalpost to "they should sue them again".
can u see how perverse you appear?

ekt_bear:

Where is the law saying that Lagos State must implement CONMESS?

Are you sure that it doesn't apply only for FEDERAL workers, not state workers?

If the Lagos government is violating the law by not passing CONMESS, then presumably someone would have taken them to court already....

Kindly provide evidence that Lagos's actions are illegal.

the act establishing NSIWC mentioned PUBLIC SERVANTS without distinguishing btw federal and state
and furthermore CONMESS specifically is meant for ALL doctors

It will be up to the courts to decide whether CONMESS is binding on Lagos State.

Until they make their decision, then nobody can say that it is necessarily binding on them.

afrodoc: looooool
its actually funny how u respond when ur points r defeated.u r obviously here to push ur capitalist agenda and have no knowledge of the remote causes of the problem or even d present state of things.u r a most misinformed capitalist sir!
ok since it seems u r unaware (this present case....d illegal sacking of doctors) is already in court.
u r d grandmaster of d lodge of goalpost shifters
u said it wasn't illegal to deprive d doctors of conmess,u were shown why it is illegal u shifted goalpost to "they should sue them"
u were informed that they had been sued in d past and dt this contributed to d signed agreement on CONMESS so now u hav shifted goalpost to "they should sue them again".
can u see how perverse you appear?

I don't think that my points have been defeated. You claim CONMESS is binding upon Lagos State. Lagos obviously disagrees. This is a matter for a court of law, not for you or I to decide.

GboyegaD:

Is Health Care truly cheap? This is where the National Health Insurance Scheme should come in. Health is not cheap and the best we can do is for govt to enforce everyone to get Health Insurance and that way it helps spread the burden over everyone both the healthy and the sick.
Addressing the doctors as being greedy is just an unfair statement to satisfy your ego. I am so sure you work and you want to be paid what is due to you. Therefore, if you protest when being cheated does it mean you are greedy? Let us please be objective at least for once.

Did u notice how the word greedy was hyphenated? U didn't get my point.
Also by cheap healthcare I meant govt healthcare as in relative to private

The problem in Nigeria is followership not leadership, based on comments or sentiments showed by the populace, i think they deserve what they obtain as healthcare, that is 2nd highest mortality and infant death rate in the world.A country that supports that brain drain,with one of the ratios such as 1 doc to 14,000 pxs .conmess was set up to stem brain drain both externally and internally.
I tell you it has worked, because people are coming back, a house officer can look forward to being an specialist currently and the people are better for it. In whose interest Lagos state goverment can afford it. a state that generates 15 billion monthly and estimates put sums required at 30 million monthly. there is no 200,000 fee what conmess pays at fg level is abt 178 for ho presently its 168 in lagos. tax on doctors is about 20% so many info are lies peddled by agents of the state.
medical students in lagos state pay as much as 400,000 per session in lasuth , now he sacked several professors of medicine surgery residents doctors ie almost specialists house officers, they have to start afresh their internship, they goverment has put accreditation of lasuth college of medicine at risk, and people are applauding govt actions.

In as much i admire fashola as a leader i am totally dissapointed in his
actions which were retrogressive, ego tripping with the lives of many poor lagosians, Luth and the rst are filled over 25 secondary health centres are not working well and people are satisied. in some comments i can see a frustrated nigerian youth where unemployment rates are unrecordable.
these greedy docs as u guys put it have been sacked, they are not the loosers, they are highly skilled and sort after
its d poor woman on the street that wud need abt 300 to see a doc

I see the problem with many people in this forum. when you dont have fact, you resolve to abuse and name calling. I wont do that. However, as a doctor friend who is actively invovle in the strike told me that Lagos state govt dont own them salary, he said fashola pay thier salary promptly including the month of april 2012.

Moreso, if fashola is owing the doctors, i bet you the whole world will come to a stand still. So my belove brother, get your fact. love you

afrodoc:

didnt want to post again on this topic but dwarf above here is d type of nigerian i mentioned who has made a vow against knowledge.not only that but he is a rumor monger of d beer parlor variety.d doctors' last paid salary was for march despite working in april,so why do u come here to post rubbish ? u r ignorant and blissfully so but must you try to convert people to your dimwitted way of life?

We have fully implemented CONMESS –Health Commissioner

It’s not the best of times for the sick in Lagos state. For over three weeks, doctors and the state government have been embroiled in a battle of wits following the doctors’ indefinite strike over the implantation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in the state. Last week, the state government announced the dismissal of 788 doctors and promptly evicted them from their living quarters. The state commissioner of Health, Dr. Jide Idris in this interview by HEALTH EDITOR SAM EFERARO and ASSISTANT EDITOR SEKINAH LAWAL said the state government had fully implemented the CONMESS salary scheme saying the government did everything possible to avoid the doctors’ strike. Excerpts:

Sir, do you think the dismissal of the doctors will bring a positive end to the crisis?

Over the years we’ve been bending over backwards allowing everything to go for the sake of peace. People have developed this attitude that they can do anything they like. They can undermine the system and they go to any length to do whatever it is they want to do. This current strike, personally, I don’t know what they are striking for. What is inter-esting is that they will not tell the pub-lic the truth because they feel they have the power and nobody is going to blame them. Every single thing they ask for, the government has implemented.

But the doctors say  there’s an agree-ment which the government signed and that the government failed to  honour its own part.

They said government should pay full CONMESS.  Mind you, if you look at the history, it didn’t start today. If you look at the circular they are talking about, it was a Federal Circular affecting only federal institutions. When the argument started the first time, we said ok for the sake of peace… but again the state gov-ernment decided that “look, I’m  tired of all this back and forth,  I have a right to establish my own salary scheme,” which they did.

I cannot even tell you the story that went behind it and what it took because government got consul-tants, spent a lot of money to come up with that scheme. It was decided that nobody in this state will be at a disad-vantage. 

In the course of implementing the scheme, the health sector was given proper priority. We conceded a lot of things to them because of the peculiar-ity of that sector. When all the other sec-tors were pegged to 2 levels – even those 2 levels is a higher salary –  and that one was to correct the anomaly within the system. In the former system you could be on grade level  12 step 10 and be earn-ing more than somebody on level 13.

If you are going to another level automati-cally, your years of experience and other things were taken care of. For the health sector, we elongated that system because of their peculiarity so if they are talking about that agreement, it was fully imple-mented. But they will not tell you that in implementing that agreement they got a bonus, one month salary bonus which all the other people did not get.

Now that others have heard,  they are demanding their own, more so when they did not even go on strike.  I’m telling you this to let you how far government went. At the end of that strike we had a decision to continue to dialogue. This year alone, we’ve held at least four meetings with them. If you look at what they are complaining about, they are not enough to go on strike. The first one, they want teaching allowance for house officers and we said we will not pay because house officers do not teach.

That’s the only difference between house officers and those on grade level 12. Ev-ery other thing, we are paying figure for figure (with the Federal Scheme). Even when the salary thing was published and they were making  so much noise, I asked the DFA here to go and crosscheck again and he came yesterday to say we are paying figure for figure.

What they will not tell the public is that if you get a loan it will be deducted from your sal-ary and that’s what will reflect in your pay. If you live in government house they will not pay you housing allowance.

Those are the things they will not tell the public that showed the differences (on pay slip). Apart from the house of-ficer on grade level 12 figure for figure as in CONMESS we are paying. We’ve told them if they have anything to the contrary, they should publish it.

They will not tell you that we had to spread the bonus they got over three months because it was not planned for, all for the sake of peace. We were (still) discussing before and the issue of strike did not come up until we started seeing text messages talking about warning strike. We called them to a meeting and we told them this is not our agreement. If you have any issue, bring them and let’s discuss.

Shortly before that in the course of our discus-sion, we told them  that during imple-mentation there could be mistakes and they should bring such anomalies. They brought  the evidence  and I sent a copy to LASUTH and other hospitals.

They confirmed the anomalies and we agreed quickly to remedy them.  We went to the Ministry of Establishment and they agreed to implement the remedy which they have started doing. The other one they said some hospitals in the same level are getting different things and we said it’s an anomaly. People on the same level should earn the same thing.

We told them to bring it up because it was an error and it was only in LASUTH. The only two areas where we disagreed was the issue of house officers. There was a document that the National Wages Commission over this CONMES sent to the Minister of Health explaining the category of health workers who should benefit from teaching allowance.

Those two categories were not on that list. In any case, even if any federal institution is paying, they have the money we don’t.  Moreso, you don’t qualify for the allow-ance because you don’t teach. The second issue, they said if you are a new consultant you should be started on grade level 15 step 4.

This is a com-plex issue. It’s an establishment matter. It was even today I fully understood the whole thing. It was the Head of Service that explained it properly. Before, they had two levels for consultants one for the consultants who are not specialists who started from level 15 step 1 and those who did residents and became special-ists who are placed on grade level 15 step 4.

In the new salary scheme, all those factors have been considered in arriv-ing at the figure so any new consultant will start on grade level 15 step 1. We say if you are an old person and you still have the salary dichotomy bring it and we will rectify, which we’ve done. Their grouse is for people who are not in the system and we say how can you be fight-ing for those who have not come into the system?

Anybody coming in newly, you are the one who wants to work for Lagos state. If we tell you this is what we are paying it’s either you take it or leave it. So why must you be fighting for anyone who has not joined the system? Those are the two areas where we parted ways. When they started talking about strike we begged and appealed, moreso, when the notice of strike was given 24 hours before they went on strike.

You see when you wake up as a health personnel with all your Hippocratic oath and you can just wake up one day and say you are going on warning strike. They are used to it because they know people will come with emotions. Oh peo-ple will die, this is health sector and they know this so it’s like playing God.

They will not tell the people the truth. Now, if we pay teaching allowance to house of-ficers the nurses will come and also ask for teaching allowance for nurses in the lower level. The pharmacists will also come. The other issue now is about disci-pline in the civil service.

Once that fabric that holds the civil service is destroyed then you destroy the  service. They went on strike, the civil service regulation says first give a query to explain why he did not come to work. They said nobody should respond, we sent the second que-ry and they said nobody should respond and then the third.

The Civil service set up the PMD, the disciplinary committee. Some of them responded and they were exonorated. They had the last opportu-nity in spite of all these when the house waded in last Saturday. All these would have been resolved but they insulted many of us  at that meeting including the deputy speaker.

My question is if you continue like this, any other group of workers can say to hell with you be-cause you’ve done it for doctors. It has got to a particular level where they feel they cannot be disciplined because of the emotion often attached and they commit all sorts of atrocities.  How much will you beg? They feel they are untouchable which is a fallacy?

There are people looking for job. Ev-erybody is leaving the private sector  to come to the public sector. How many states are paying the salary we are paying? Check it, how many states? We have a huge workforce. They are so comfortable many of them don’t go to work, they run their private practices. I’m a doctor that’s why I can’t speak out be-cause I will put my  profession in jeopardy. There must be a stop to this because at the end of the day, it is the people that will keep on suffering when you just wake up one day and you say you are going on a warning strike; you don’t care about the patient. That’s not how we were trained.

You are a medical doctor. I just wonder, since they are your colleagues, is there no channel through which you could have met with them to ensure the issue does not generate to a strike and even this sack?

After that strike (last year) we made a decision that we will dialogue. As I said, I’ve held four meetings with them. Even the Governor attended one of their meet-ings  and at that meeting,  they promised they  would not go on strike again. We were talking. Some of them have access to my house and that’s why it was so surprising that you were contemplating a strike we had a meeting about three weeks before then and all these things did not come up. Unknown to me,  they went to Estab and it was based on their decision at Estab that the Permanent  Secretary,  Civil Service Commission wrote to me to go back to Estab to state our case. Upon all that, we called them to a meeting and told them that was not our agreement. So how else do you want us to dialogue?

How is the government going to resolve the issue now? Are you sure you can get up to 700 doctors

When you want to effect changes it’s not going to be easy. But these changes are very necessary now. We are going to implement different code of ethics. Yes, people will get very emotional   but if you start saying all these outside I’ll be destroying my own profession. That’s why I’ve not said much. See the salary structure that we published, they are now saying we have made them a se-curity risk because the public did not know they were getting that much. But they keep telling people that we are not paying. That we signed an agreement and we did not pay.

That’s what they are telling the public. Look at the Chairman of NMA, if you really value life, you did not even call us to find out what hap-pened. Instead, you wrote a letter saying you heard we are harassing and intimi-dating doctors and we should withdraw the query if not, they will call national strike. They are playing God. They feel they can hold everybody to ransom be-cause they are doctors.  If the nurses go on strike today, they can’t work. But it is our country they are even embarrassing.

There’s the rumour that the new doctors are fresh doctors who have no experi-ence.

That is not true. The people that are coming, some of them have been practis-ing for seven to nine years. We still have the consultants in the same hospitals.  They are not on strike  but they are un-dermining the system because by  virtue of the civil service regulation, you can’t go on strike if you are on level 14.

It will be stupid to employ all green people. That’s not the true picture. The people who are coming are of different grades and they are going to work under the consultants. More people are applying.


http://nationalmirroronline.net/health/health-news/39980.html

This government is tired of strikes – Dr. Jide Idris

This government is tired of strikes. Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who confirmed this in an interview with Sola Ogundipe and Chioma Obinna,  was only echoing the thoughts of millions of Lagosians and Nigerians as a whole.

Idris who said the sacking of 788 striking doctors was a difficult decision for the government, however, argued that it was in the overall interest of the health sector. Denying claims that it was a premeditated decision, he said the priority now is to reduce the negative effects of the crisis on the patients. Excerpts:

BEFORE resorting to sacking, was there no other measure government could have taken to avoid the impasse between it and the Medical Guild?


Government did everything possible. The last time the doctors went on strike, the government gave many concessions and that was what formed the basis of the agreement.

That same agreement has been implemented. Contrary to the information they have been spreading, we are paying CONMESS figure for figure within the platform of the state health policy. It was on basis of the doctors’ agitation that we published the figures. If they have anything contrary, let them bring it up.

After the last strike, it was decided by both parties to resolve matters amicably by dialogue. The governor was actually at one of their meetings in which the doctors promised never to go on strike again. It was on that basis that since the beginning of the year, we have been discussing everything with them. The first notice of the strike was a text message that took us aback. We were surprised. Three weeks before then, we had met, issues were raised and we were going to call them to a meeting. So when the text came, we called them immediately to say that was not our agreement. We even showed them all the papers to state the position of our agreement.


The doctors have been saying the publication does not reflect the true position…


Well let them bring evidence. I actually went back to confirm after the publication and it was confirmed, two sources confirmed. So let them bring evidence that it is not so. Figure for figure, we are paying CONMESS.

Has government not violated the right of the patient to health?

To the best of my knowledge, government has not violated the patient’s rights. The role of government is to provide platform for the patients to access to health but when it comes to a situation where that access to health is being impeded by those who should provide it, then government has to do something about it.

But the hospitals are still shut…

As of today, none of the hospitals is shut. I have taken stock, yes services are down, but work is not completely paralysed.

How open is government to dialogue?

Government has taken advantage of many opportunities. For instance, the governor publicly appealed to them during the 1,800 days celebration, then the House of Assembly waded in, but the doctors insulted everybody. Since all this began, we held meetings and got concerned parties to listen to our own side of the story, and then they went and listened to their own side too.

We had two meetings, Thursday, during which we gave our own side. A past president of the NMA came to a meeting with us, I gave him all the information including letters written by the NMA Lagos branch and he said he had warned them not to write the letter. They are not telling the full story, only whipping up sentiments to the public. Government has tried, but things would get to a stage where steps have to be taken to prevent further degeneration. This action bordered on what holds the fabric together which is discipline and regulations. We had to save the situation.

Is there possibility that any of the sacked doctors may be reinstated or asked to reapply?

That matter is covered by civil service regulations. We will cross the bridge when we get there. I do not want to preempt anything.

Is the dismissal of 788 doctors a premeditated act as being touted in some circles or is it a quick measure to salvage the system?

No reasonable government that has the interest of the people at heart would plan to sack 788 doctors just like that it. It was not something government was happy to do and was actually a hard but inevitable decision.

We had to make a choice between sacking and the negative effects of not sacking on the overall system. First, if a house officer is paid teaching allowance, then others in the health system and even beyond will come forward and demand to be paid as well. The cost on government would be too much. Second, the attitude of the doctors leaves much to be desired.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/05/this-government-is-tired-of-strikes-dr-jide-idris/

Mind you, if you look at the history, it didn’t start today. If you look at the circular they are talking about, it was a Federal Circular affecting only federal institutions.

wtf? Then why did anybody ask LASG to implement CONMESS?

Biggyd2: beneli:

The bottom line - if you are still single, leave like yesterday . . . you're worth more than the nonsense being hurled at you in Naija. When you’re more comfortable and have the privilege due you as a Doctor, to want the finer things of life, you can then afford to say; ‘it’s not really about the money’ . . .


Exactly. Maybe by the time the doctors all leave, then the government will go and hire consultants from abroad and of course pay them peanuts then. :-\

Lagos Drs. Those that have ears should listen. Wise men on the forum have spoken. Dialogue with your legs it is better than never. U have potentials of passing any license exam, start now before its too late. who says you cant even get employed directly from naija as expatriate in countries or NGos where you will be better appreciated!

naptu2:
There are people looking for job. Ev-erybody is leaving the private sector to come to the public sector. How many states are paying the salary we are paying? Check it, how many states? We have a huge workforce. They are so comfortable many of them don’t go to work, they run their private practices. I’m a doctor that’s why I can’t speak out be-cause I will put my profession in jeopardy. There must be a stop to this because at the end of the day, it is the people that will keep on suffering when you just wake up one day and you say you are going on a warning strike; you don’t care about the patient. That’s not how we were trained.

Hmmmm! many of them dont go to work and the govt was paying them until recently? I dont want to believe LASG was paying Drs that were absent from work when they were not even on strike. May be those involved were also sacked then but was not mentioned in the discussion.

I've been advising my doctor friend's in LASG service to leave ASAP. Im happy i took that decision several years ago. It is obvious the government is undeserv ing of their service. .and worse still the people who should keep the government on their toes and demand good service are also castigating doctors for going on strike. Please if you're reading this as a doctor, don't hesitate to write your exams and get out ASAP. Leave for places where you're appreciated, where you work hand in hand with Nurses, Pharmacists and Lab technicians without envy or strife. There are jobs in the UK, loads of it. If in doubt check out www.jobs.nhs.uk, the pay is stipulated with each post and often comes with banding supplements(up to an extra 50% of the quoted salary).
Nigeria needs doctors but it wont happen till doctors get their dues, till the government and the people realise the need for proper renumeration of people looking after their health.

Doctors are needed all over the world. More in some countries than in others. Unfortunately, Naija is not one of the countries with an abundant supply.

ektbear was trying to prove with economics. But failed to realize that healthcare is expensive. The stakes are too high... no margin for error. That is why it takes a while to make a competent doctor. That is why doctors are scarce commodities, that is why doctors have lots of options, that is why healthcare is expensive.

But the government of Lagos thinks the conmess is too much to be paid and they therefore think they can create docs out of thin air or maybe import docs from better paying countries and then not pay them for the hassles of the healthcare mess in Nigeria.

And a significant no of nairalanders think this is the way forward. Lol. Like many others have said, any doc still
practsing in naija should get out now. There are too many opportunities worldwide that do a lot better than Nigeria.

If the life of Nigerians is a business deal of demand, and supply, and it is so difficult for our government and educated/respectable nairalanders to see that demand has seriously dwarfed d supply, then they don't deserve your care.


If the life of Nigerians is business