All health workers can become consultants –FG

NOVEMBER 10, 2014 BY FRIDAY OLOKOR


Secretary to the Government the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim | credits: File copy
The age-long controversy between the Nigerian Medical Association and the National Union of Allied Health Professionals over who should bear the title of a ‘consultant’ appeared to have been laid to rest with the Federal Government granting the approval for health workers to become consultants in the various fields.

The government has issued a circular to announce the development.

The news is however coming at a time the Joint Health Sector Union, a unified body for all associations in the health care sector, said it was warming up for a fresh strike.

The Vice President of JOHESU, Mr. Felix Faniran, in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, said, “We held a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, on Thursday; the government only released one of the many circulars we told them to release. The one they released was the one in respect of consultancy status which we say they should correct and which they have now corrected.

“Other health care professionals are recognised as consultants and that it is their professional bodies that have the right to dictate who should be a consultant or not and not the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and that such people shall be qualified to receive specialist allowance. That is what we have gotten.”

He however said that JOHESU would be embarking on a fresh strike because doctors had been receiving new salary structure to the detriment of other health workes.

Faniran said, “We are in the same sector but they are enjoying new salary while we have not gotten the circular yet, let alone implement it. Also, this is already November, budgets have been prepared in all institutions and ours have been prepared on old rate, so we can no longer wait.

“Since the government don’t have an answer to this and the arrears of CONHESS 10 skipping, they also have no answer to it. It was supposed to be paid in 2013, they could not pay, we waited till 2014, they said it was not in the budget for 2014 and that we have to wait till 2015, we are tired of all these.

“On the issue of retirement age, we don’t need to argue on this one. There has been a government White Paper in 1981 that whatever is happening in the universities should be the same condition of service in the university teaching hospitals.

“So, since the university is already enjoying 65 to 70 years retirement, it should be made automatic to the university teaching hospitals, since they are sister institutions.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/all-health-workers-can-become-consultants-fg/

Smart policy. Extra money in the pockets of healthcare professionals and a greater spread of health wisdom and expertise to citizens. Meanwhile others are still talking about boko haram and atikus chieftancy

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Ikengawo:
Smart policy. Extra money in the pockets of healthcare professionals and a greater spread of health wisdom and expertise to citizens. Meanwhile others are still talking about boko haram and atikus chieftancy

which smart policy?
consultancy in other fields will cause chaos in the system

InyinyaAgbaOku:


which smart policy?
consultancy in other fields will cause chaos in the system

not at all. If a nurse or doctor can be also hired as a health consultant both sides win.ore jobs and money for practitioners as well

Ikengawo:
not at all. If a nurse or doctor can be also hired as a health consultant both sides win.ore jobs and money for practitioners as well

you won't understand.

RockMaxi:



Although the liberalisation is good, but there must be a limit and scope.

why do you say that?

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I'm jumping with joy



See me

I'm jumping

Good development, it will enable other health professionals to grow and reach their maximum potential, which would be good for all.

As for the other outstanding mentioned benefits; it would appear that the gov is being insincere; they should honor their side of the agreement - strike action at this time of the year would be terrible.

RockMaxi:



It will limit professionals from concentrating on a particular field because of patronage/monetary benefits.

To an extent you're right but this will also allow more practitioners to live a better life and make the market more competitive. There will be more work in medicine available and with this expansion comes diversification. Suddenly you will see pediatricians getting steady work with a wealthy family that has a sick or unhealthy kid instead of waiting for government to build pediatric hospital which never happens. Same with many other speciality fields other than general doctors. Think about it this way if an orthodontist is hired by a hospital they are paid per service (infrequently) and see many patients as 1 doctor. This way many doctors will have one patient and suddenly the demand for doctors will skyrocket because many are finding steady work with 1 client or two at a time as opposed to one doctor doing infrequent work with hundreds.