I know this topic may not make FP because it is not against the medical doctors as only topics against doctors make FP. I have always been an anonymous visitor or guest here but had to join nairaland to post this topic.
It is really saddening to see how Nigerians regard their medical doctors. I have been following this saga on nairaland, Facebook, other social media and print media. I came into conclusion that Nigerians have misplaced priorities. We hate doctors so much and yet we roll out our drums in celebration each time our children graduate to become one. I have some friends who swore that since they could not study medicine, they will do everything in their powers to ensure their kids study medicine.
Why the so much hatred for doctors. I once had a sister who decided to go to a nurse at home to take her delivery, after this nurse tried all she could do, she referred her to a general hospital and I must say that the doctors where so professional about it, they did not want to lose the baby or the mother, my sister was so bad I thought she would not make it but for the doctors she survived, the baby survived too. It was the doctors who took her blood samples ran a test in the ward side lab brought out the test result in less than 5 mins and said she will need blood. These same doctors took the sample to the lab about 500 meters from the ward, went back to check that the blood was ready, wheeled her to the theatre, monitored her till she was awake. I must say the input of other health professionals was minimal. I was amazed.
I am not justifying the doctors strike, I am not in support of any strike but a better understanding of the fight in the health sector is important for all. I often see people make bad comments about nurses. Though nurses are trained to offer care, I must say doctors I have met are still more caring than nurses. The day you or any of your relative is admitted in a public hospital you may understand what I am trying to say. They shout at patients and their relatives, they may not even wait an extra minute once their shift is over. But doctors are patient, they don't gossip unlike others who stay in the ward gossiping patients and their relatives.

Here is an article that was shared on Facebook and I feel nairaland could benefit from it. It may be bias because it is coming from a medical doctor but I feel it is the honest truth.

I appeal to our doctors to go back to work, patients are dying. We need you and we appreciate your effort.

THE JOHESU BROUHAHA ....... MY PERSONAL OPINION

Commenting on a topic, "most preferred course of choice in Nigerian Universities". According to the write up, medicine came first as the most preferred choice even though it is only offered by about 34 of the about 124 universities in Nigeria. Most contributors gave different reasons why it is most preferred, ranging from renumeration and prestige to excellence.
My own contribution viz; "From the comments made by contributors, it seems most people appreciate the fact that medicine is one of the most sensitive (I am trying to avoid the word "most difficult" course of study in our tertiary institution largely because it deals with human life and the uncertainties (one is not sure if he will eventually become a doctor or not), even the best students in first year could be withdrawn the following year. When I was in school, over 400 of us gained admission to study medicine but less than 120 of us who gained admission together graduated. It is also a known fact that after several attempts at entering medical school, most students eventually settle for related courses like Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nursing, Physiotherapy, pharmacy (Note that a good number of students also choose these courses as their first choice course ab initio).
Having stated the above, it is crass injustice for someone who knew from the beginning that he could not study medicine (for reasons best known to him, be it academic challenges, time spent in the training amongst others) to now realize that the name "doctor" is dignifying, and hence, desires to be called doctor(and or consultant) because he works in a tertiary institution and has garnered some years of experience. This is comparable to technologists who refer to themselves as engineers simply because they know how to assemble machines. What matters most is the qualification and not the number of years spent assisting a medical doctor.
I support that health care workers can and should aspire to whatever they want and to whatever extent. They can still be called doctors. All they need do is complete a masters degree program and a PhD. I know some Nurses who are professors, same with pharmacists. In the USA states of Arizona, and some other states, it is an offense to address yourself as "doctor" if you are not a medical doctor without stating your profession immediately( there should be no room for patients to assume you are a medical doctor when you are not). Let me emphasize that a doctor will never fight to head a pharmaceutical company. We all knew what we wanted before we wrote UME(JAMB) .... This short cut approach must be rejected. I was in Microbiology 300L when I got admission into 100L medicine, I knew what I wanted. I had classmates who were nurses, medical lab scientist, who wanted to become doctors; they took UME again.
Renumeration of doctors should not be compared to any other allied health profession. Google is our friend and we can always ask. Is there anywhere in the world where pharmacists, medical lab scientists, nurses and others earn the same renumeration? If there is any, please let me know.
It is quite unfortunate to see the pharmacists I once respected stoop so low, finding themselves in the nexus of abhorrent disgruntled elements of disappointed and frustrated persons fighting against not only medical doctors but themselves (because they are reducing the practice of pharmacy to drug dispensing). What happened to industrial pharmacy, what happened to drug formulation and research? I was once envious of a classmate who later became a pharmacist. While I was still doing my internship, she was done with hers(no thanks to our extended academic calendar of 6+X years as against hers of fixed 5 years), she was working in a pharmaceutical company, earning a fat salary, had an official car and a driver. Her renumeration and job description was very good and juicy, but that is her calling not for a medical doctor.
In every strata of life, in every team, there is always a leader, one leader, that's why we have only one pope, only one Nigerian president, only one state governor, only one captain and indeed only one chief medical director (who must be a doctor) which must be earned and not gotten through the back door.
Note that only doctors have been appointed Director General of WHO since inception, yet we have other health workers who work for WHO. The present Director General, Margaret Chan should be an inspiration to JOHESU members because she was a home economics teacher before going back to school to study medicine.
My sincere advise to JOHESU is to lead by example, they should propose an arrangement that gives health workers(apart from medical doctors) equal rights viz; the pharmacy technicians should be allowed to head the pharmacy department, auxiliary nurses and B.Sc. nurses should be paid exactly the same salary and have the same type of promotions(since they can all administer injections and dress wounds), laboratory technicians should be allowed to be the assistant head of a laboratory departments assisting a consultant pathologist. If they can successfully implement the above for 5 to 10 years, and the model works perfectly well, then maybe the federal government can look into their request.
Indeed the patient care should be a team work involving the pharmacist, laboratory scientist, nurses with medical doctors at the centre. Any attempt to take the sole responsibility way from the medical doctor will lead to chaos and serious disaster.
I must confess, the turn of events in recent years is not encouraging, it has a most negative effect on the already brain drain that has plagued the Nigerian health sector, what they should be fighting for(collectively, doctors inclusive) should be how to increase the slots for residency training, better renumeration and welfare package across board,how to promote research and get scholarships to further enhance skills and build career, cooperate with doctors to ease the admission of their children into medical school so that their desire can come into fruition. I believed in our generation, we must fight together, my friends who are pharmacist, physiotherapist and nurses know we are not the same, their "ogas" should stop the Tom and Jerry display of ignorance and comic. Yes, I respect them, I respect every other health worker, they have their role which must be respected and indeed the best patient outcome is in team work.
The reason that doctors go on strike in order to increase private patronage is not only myopic but a serious neurological deficit on the part of those who have such reasoning. What will you say when pharmacist and lab scientists go on strike, where do patients buy drugs from( they don't only go on strike, but they frustrate the effort of anyone who choose to deliver care by switching of power generators, hiding surgical instruments, locking up stores amongst others). Yes, most doctors have private hospitals in order to meet the increasing demands in the health sector but pharmacist and others also own pharmacy shops and laboratories, committing the most heinous crimes of consulting, examining and treating patients in their shops which is not designated for such, oh what a lawless nation. Most patients have worsened their clinical condition and indeed died from such crimes. Permit me to call their act genocide of the highest order towards Nigerians.
On this note, I appeal to the federal government to call a spade a spade, to consider the sufferings of the poor patients and do the needful. Medical doctors and indeed the patients deserve more than this ill treatment.

Long live NARD
Long live NMA.
Long live the Federal republic of Nigeria.


Dr Eilojie Omobude
MBChB.
Immediate Past ASG ARD, UBTH.
Former NiMSA president




References:
1. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/health/policy/02docs.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
2. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization#Governance_and_support
3. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brock_Chisholm
4. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshi_Nakajima
5. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gro_Harlem_Brundtland Former prime minister of Norway
6. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Jong-wook
7. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Nordström
8. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Chan
9. http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45hlhe/no-1-best-paying-job-anesthesiologists/
10. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/9834351/Best-paid-jobs-in-the-UK.html?frame=2465310
11. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johns_Hopkins_Hospital#Dean.2F_CEO_of_Johns_Hopkins_Medicine
12. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harsh_Vardhan_(Delhi_politician)
13. https://www.nairaland.com/1800627/most-preferred-courses-nigerian-universities
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Chan

This is also to announce my membership of nairaland. I shall engage in meaningful debate and will not entertain any form of insult as that is the reason I refused to join initially.
Nairaland is a great community and I have learnt a lot as a guest. I wish I will learn more as a member

Shebi policeman and soldier name military personnel

But soldiers have better equipment and packages than the police why is thast in thought their training is almost the same..........




The day craze enter policeman head na the day he go wan comparer with soldiers....unto say dem be equals

Na that day he go know say SAMBISA FOREST and POLICE CHECKPOINT no be the same thing

What am I saying........there must be hierarchy


Doctors can't do without nurses

Nurses cannot survive without doctors


I just pity the patients because this power tussle no be today e start' .......you can Google Florence nightingales gbege with doctors during the world war

Hmmmm

I just like the pharmacists. Their fate is not tied to the hospital. Why struggle with doctors in the hospital all your life when you can open your own community pharmacy, do drug imports or work in a pharm. company/industry? If the doctors don't want you guys there, simply walk out of the cage. You have better opportunities outside the hospital.

I hate it when a simple question thread, turns out to be an epistle.





I don't hate Doctors, it's the greed in them that I don't like.

God intervention

Gracious.

U know u may not make front page because u supporting doctor, that only topic that is against doctor only make front page, I'm so happy the mods disappoint u by placing it in front page, u better try and modify that statement now........secondly I read only the first statement, because as I scroll go down see plenty write up, I nearly faint. So I just skip am go comment for the one when me don read and understand, hope I'm not bias thou?

@o.p..
so, u refuse to join Maryland because u R afraid of nairalanders insults and e-bashes...Issokay..
wonder how many more guests have been unable and unwilling to register has full members
beccause of this same reason...
Bad as e bad, na wetin dey make airplane interesting be dat,
no dull moment..
no sleeping on the bicycle
if u do anyhow, Dem go bash u roughly..guess dats why sum users registered..
to be d Basher and not d bashee..



Back to the topic.. doctors should be respected all over the world cos they r demi-gods likewise the babalawo's too

Hate doctors? The fact is those people in Nigeria that parade themselves as Doctors, don't know what it really means to be a mreal doctor. No ethics, no compassion and no proffessionalism. All we have is a bunch of greedy people that is full of unnecessary pride. If you doubt me, why do our people rush to India for proper treatment?

When you guys starts saving lifes first than bodring about the registration and hospital fees b4 operating on patients then we would care for you guys...Imagine an injured person runing to a nearby hospital to receive care and Died right there cause he had not the money to pay for his treatment,So he was not responded too. W.T.F is going on with docs?

When you guys starts saving lifes first than bodring about the registration and hospital fees b4 operating on patients then we would care for you guys...Imagine an injured person runing to a nearby hospital to receive care and Died right there cause he had not the money to pay for his treatment,So he was not responded too. W.T.F is going on with doc?

@debatenigeria welcome onboard!

I want to first of all appreciate this topic

secondly to appreciate the long write up which I couldn't finished *meeting time*

thirdly, I want say Am out of this debate for now! will be back with some questions among which are "please can you post to us the oat doctors took before the conferments " let's start with this!

booked

Okk

Humans are insatiable!!!

DONMAYOR19: U know u may not make front page because u supporting doctor, that only topic that is against doctor only make front page, I'm so happy the mods disappoint u by placing it in front page, u better try and modify that statement now........secondly I read only the first statement, because as I scroll go down see plenty write up, I nearly faint. So I just skip am go comment for the one when me don read and understand, hope I'm not bias thou?

Ahhhhhhhh shame on u, I hate it when pple complain of reading simple essays or articles it's like dis country will continue to depreciate in terms of knowledge, even if u can't go tru it why sayin it boldly guy na shame oo not to even write it common read. SMH. Nd if na foolish tin naw u go get tym Nice article @ op. Dough I'm a paramedical student wat u wrote here is correct.

the hatred is not only in Nigeria... even in the US doctors are hated because the public thinks they are paid excessively despite the global recession..... doctors give their life for you in training, the pressure in medical school can be so much that even the best student this year might be withdrawn the next year.... most of those who hate doctor's have their reasons, I understand that,but the generalized hate is not fair at all..... despite all this hatred , a doctor takes solace anytime he saves a life. the patients gratitude gives him the feeling I can't explain.... the fact that the Number of students applying for medicine increase yearly gives him assurance..... and yea, the fact that some of this health professionals were withdrawn from medicine or refused the course when they applied shows him he z privileged... we don't care about those who hate online..we care about those who come to us... they love us, and that is enough

The OP may claim not to be biased in his judgment but in my opinion, he is.

To begin with, I don't think ppl hate Drs (cos it's a title anyway) but the attitude of the holder of the title. For your information, majority of the ppl don't like Nurses either part of the reason which has been stressed out already by the OP but they don't often disturb us with Strike actions and selfish demands.

I am not saying there are no competent health care providers(Drs) in the country,I have a quit no of them as friends but the majority of them are incompetent.

I can safely say 70 percent of the so called Drs are incompetent but they want to be treated as gods.

Majority of the Drs working at various govt owned hospitals also work elsewhere either at their own private hospitals or paid private hospitals all to the deteriment of the poor masses who frequent the govt owned hospitals.

In most govt owned hospitals, you hardly find a Dr that practise the true essence of the profession but those who are arrogant, selfish and complete cheats.

Take the FMC Ebute Meta, Lagos for instance, patients rush to the hospital as early as 5.30/6am to pick nos so they can be attended to and return home early enf as nobody likes going to the hospital anyway. The Drs stroll in around 9.30/10am with no apology to the anxious long waiting patients (since they beliv they shld be worshipd) and by 1pm they stop consultation till the next day to resume at their various private hospitals.

If I should start talking about their level of incompetence, the whole page will not contain it . There are even several occassions where they were corrected by Nurses (on medication prescriptns).

In simple terms, ppl don't hate Drs but the attitude of the holder of the title. They are arrogant, selfish, incompetent, cheats and the big bang, "Killers" going on strike to divert patients to their private hospitals.

I keep saying it, herbalists are better than most Nigerian Drs..

what has d previous strikes produced. ntin but more deaths to the patients. greedy goats. i dont hate doctors any way my broda is one. nt nigeria based tho

Let's be honest. Nigeria doctors are both mischievous and dubious. with all the money they are earning regardless of the peril of million unemployed graduates, they still want more money. They should think about others for a second.

Janiobi: When you guys starts saving lifes first than bodring about the registration and hospital fees b4 operating on patients then we would care for you guys...Imagine an injured person runing to a nearby hospital to receive care and Died right there cause he had not the money to pay for his treatment,So he was not responded too. W.T.F is going on with doc?

Common guy we all understand dis, even a common cab man will demand for his money b4 gettin to d Bus stop not because he is greedy but because Pple can b dubious. Dat na #50 talk less of a doctor. Patients too can b dubious, we've heard of cases where patients were admitted nd dat dey will pay on discharge nd midway in d middle of one cold nd black nite day dissappear into thin air even wit dier just beggining to get well condition. So I don't think d xcuse is tenable.

All na washhh. No time for this boring long post

soludo93: Let's be honest. Nigeria doctors are both mischievous and dubious. with all the money they are earning regardless of the peril of million unemployed graduates, they still want more money. They should think about others for a second.

Dis is the problem 'jealousy' Guy go fill jamb form carry medicine nta medical school dey jack under fear and hope com resit like 4tyms go do residency make dem consultants Mbaras u like shit + continuous reading nd lot of sleepless nyts den u will undastand u need more ATP nd dat na money

It Iڪ so disheartening that τ̲̅ђe highest paid workers(Doctors) will still wake up asking for more from D̶̲̥̅̊ govt. And even striking 2 bend D̶̲̥̅̊ hand of FG forgetting their primary aim of saving lives. Mos of dese docs have private clinics opened with D̶̲̥̅̊ cash they get from D̶̲̥̅̊ govt. Nobody hates them, they hate τ̲̅ђe pple they're called 2 serve.
They should go 2 dia former primary And secondary schools And take a look at how τ̲̅ђe teachers who built their interest .i̶̲̥̅̊n̶̲̥̅̊ Medicine are suffering.
Yet they open dia dirty mouth 2 vomit rubbish.

speak2emmalex: All na washhh. No time for this boring long post

Shame.

Smartsyn: I hate it when a simple question thread, turns out to be an epistle.





I don't hate Doctors, it's the greed in them that I don't like.

How can you generalize so much?
How many doctors have you come across?
Are they all greedy?
Greed, or any other vice is a personal attribute, and not something that can be applied to everyone.

Everyone want to be a doctor. Chai nigerians

atrix4g: Dis is the problem 'jealousy' Guy go fill jamb form carry medicine nta medical school dey jack under fear and hope com resit like 4tyms go do residency make dem consultants Mbaras u like shit + continuous reading nd lot of sleepless nyts den u will undastand u need more ATP nd dat na money

Who send them? Or who force them. Dia greed Iڪ taking a better part of them that they don't even know what they are doing anymore. They should be charged And arrested for murder cos dia silly mistakes have sent pple 2 dia early graves.
Are they asking for more money 2 continue killing innocent Nigerians?