₦airaland Forum

RIP mama!

SELENAqueensy: Yes

i can see it

I 've always said it dat GEJ knows more about bokoharam dan we think. Continu God will see us!

corruption, bokoharam nd all present nd past politicians.

lakpalakpa: That's barbaric.

Abians should kick him and his party out of the state in 2015.

Abia State must be free from PDP bondage!!

I guess Abia state ppl are satisfied wit T .A Orji's performace. Don't be surprised to see them vote for PDP in 2015. Change is very far from that state.

Pastor prof Alonge always supporting d truth since 1914.

austine4sure2000@gmail.com

phreakabit: Guys, hold Ur horses. The Doc only submitted the drug for evalyation, trial and possible approval. . .Let's wait and be optimistic till results come out.

Point of correction, he is a pharmacyst.

ok

This is d only decision GEJ has taken so far dat is much anticipated. NMA is too small to hold nigeria nd nigerians to the balls!

Only If all these our unemployed youths know how much their mates in health sector earn immediately after graduation during internship, while law students pay heavily for their tuition. And yet the doctors are never satisfied. For your information a newly graduated doctor undergoing training in teaching hospital or FMC earns at least #180,000/month for one year. Yet they ar still not satisfied. This is pure greed!

I bet u, no sane leader can obey such order from NMA. U can't order ur employer around.

In case you have wondered what the doctors’ strike is all about, and why government has resorted to sacking all 16,000 resident doctors across the federation, we bring you the demands.
Let us know, in the comments section, what you think of these demands.

1. The post of Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC) has been circularised and operational. Rather than abolish it, the NMA herebydemands that four (4) DCMACs for teaching hospitals and three (3) for the Federal Medical Centres be appointed forthwith to assist the CMACs whose statutory responsibilities are too heavy for any single individual to handle. Directors in other government agencies are supported by several Deputy Directors, why not the CMAC who is also a Director? Such a DCMAC must have same qualifications as the CMAC.

2. The NMA is opposed to the appointment of Directors in the Hospitals.
This position distorts the chain of command in the hospital, induces anarchy and exposes the patient to conflicting treatment and management directives with attendant negative consequences.

3. The NMA demands that grade level 12 (CONMESS 2) in the health sector MUST be SKIPPED for medical doctors. Consequently no medical/dental practitioners should be on that grade level anymore.

4. The title “CONSULTANT” in a hospital setting describes the relationship between the Specialist Medical Doctor and his patient.
It will be a source of confusion if the title is applied to any other health worker who statutorily does not own patient. NMA, therefore, declares with unmitigated emphasis that if “non-doctor consultants” are appointed, it will lead to chaos and anarchy in the health sector. This should not happen.

5. Relativity in health sector is sacrosanct. The NMA hereby demands for immediate implementationof the January 3rd, 2014 circular.
The NMA also demands the immediate payment of the arrears of the corrected relativity for 22 years during which her members were short changed. Much as we are not against salary increase for any category of workers, either in health or elsewhere, the NMA demands for immediate adjustment of the doctors’ salary to maintain the relativity as agreed and documented once CONHESS is adjusted.

6. That Government should expedite the passage of the National Health Bill (NHB), and extend Universal Health Coverage to cover 100% of Nigeriansand not 30% as currently prescribed by National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

7. Surgeon General of the Federation MUST be appointed with immediate effect and he must be a doctor.

8. The entry point of the House Officer should be corrected to CONMESS 1 step 4 as originally contained in MSS/MSSS while the Registrar/Medical Officer is moved to CONMESS 3 step 3.9. Clinical duty allowance for Honorary Consultants should be increased by 90% of CONMESS10.
Adjust the specialist allowance as contained in the 2009 collective bargaining agreement. Additionally, ALL doctors on CONMESS 3 and above MUST be paid specialist allowance or its equivalent that is not less than 50% higher than what is paid toother health workers.

11. Hazard allowance MUST be at least N100, 000per month for Medical Doctors.

12 Immediate release of the circular on rural posting, teaching and other allowances which MUST include house officers.

13. Immediate withdrawal of the CBN circular authorizing the Medical Laboratory Science Councilof Nigeria (MLSCN) to approve licenses for the importation of In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs) ie laboratory equipments.

14. Immediate Release of Circular on retirement age for Medical Doctors as agreed with the Federal Government (FG)

15. The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health should formalise and implement the report of the inter agency committee on residency training as well as release the uniform template on appointment of Resident Doctors in line with earlier agreements. Moreover, a concrete Funding frame work for residency training must beestablished. The Overseas clinical attachment must be fully restored and properly funded in the interest of the nation.

16. That in the interest of harmony in Federal Medical Centre, Owerri the government should pay the salaries of our members in the centre as agreed on 21st October, 2013.

17. Immediate concrete steps must be put in place for the reintegration of our members back into the IPPIS platform.

18. All attempts to coerce house officers not to join NARD must stop.

19. The orchestrated intimidation, harassment and physical assault of ourmembers in departments of Pathology (Laboratory Medicine) by Laboratory Scientists which is being tolerated by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) must stop.

20. The Endless circle of incomplete salary payment to our members in many hospitals in the name of short falls in personnel cost must stop.

21. Universal applicability of all establishment circulars on the remuneration and conditions of service for doctors at all levels of Government must be guaranteed.

22. Government should as a matter of urgency set up a health trust fund that will enhance the upgrading of all hospitals in Nigeria.

23. 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. This position remains sacrosanct and untouchable.

24. The NMA henceforth shall not accept the continued violation of any of the terms of the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement. This is exemplified by the payment of Medical Physicists and Optometrists with OD (who are on CONHESS) callduty allowance using the CONMESS Circular. Similarly, the phrase “Ministries, Departments and Agencies” (MDA) in the said agreement shouldreplace “Federal Ministry of Health and other Federal Health Institutions”as contained in the 2009 CONMESS Circular.

ok

Smartsyn: pardon my ignorance, please who is a resident doctor..

What qualifies one to be one.?

And what's so important about them..

student doctors

i use clear essence. pls does it bleach?

clear essence, pls does it bleach?

sirjohnson: Women should never propose to a men. It will backfire. I repeat, it will backfire

killing english since 1914 in presence of Sir Lord Lugard.

slowpoison1: am new on nairaland....kindly welcome me

otondo!

egopersonified: So u are feeling so intelligent to want to claim you know too much abi? No matter what you claim here, the other thread already implicates you and as I stated there, I am just waiting to watch your arrest on NTA. My office is affiliated with a security outfit and I know what I have heard people say. U better prepare for the worst. Mtcheeew.

stop making noise!

Am still a virgin oo!

I feel compelled to write on this subject because of its seriousness and the dearth of objective analyses in this forum. It is an emotive subject for both the NMA and JOHESU, and I can understand why punches fly around, but the parties must rise above petty and emotional considerations if we are to find a way forward.The NMA has a list of 24 demands but I will limit myself to the most contentious ones. At this stage, it is probably best that I introduce myself. I am medical doctor of Nigerian heritage practising in the UK. WHO SHOULD HEAD THE HOSPITALThere is no contention – the medical doctor is the head of the clinical team. He/she leads the ward rounds, clinics, surgical operations, multidisciplinary meetings etc because the ultimate responsibility for patient care rests in his/her hands.The headship of the hospital is a different matter. This is an administrative role and needs not be occupied by a medical doctor. This job is better in the hands of people who have administrative or business management skills. This is the case in countries like the UK, Canada and the US, which heavily influence our health system. Therefore, it is difficult to reason with the NMA why this job should be the exclusive right of medical doctors. NON-MEDICAL CONSULTANTSThe doctor-patient ratio in Nigeria is abysmally low and very unsafe. In my view, the role of non-medical professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists etc needs to expand to cope with the demands on doctors. It is important that this is done in a safe way by providing the appropriate level of training for these individuals. This is the case in countries such as the UK, Canada and the US where consultant nurses, pharmacists etc have existed for a few decades now. I do not see any problem with non-medical consultants as long as these individuals are appropriately trained and can practise competently, safely and within an agreed framework. If this arrangement enhances patient care, then where is the problem with it? Pursuing this demand is tantamount to the NMA obstructing the professional development of JOHESU members, and I don’t think this is helpful to anybody.HAZARD ALLOWANCE The types of hazard and the level to which healthcare workers are exposed vary considerably and depend on the type of job they do. Psychiatrists are hardly exposed to body fluids and their risks for contracting diseases like HIV and hepatitis are much lesser than a theatre scrub nurse. The risk of physicalassault by a patient is higher for a psychiatrist than for a surgeon. And because psychiatry nurses spend more time with the patients, their risk of assault is arguably higher than the consultant psychiatrists. The people who work in radiology departments e.g. radiologists, radiographers, nurses, porters and so on have greater exposure to radioactive materials than everyone else in the hospital.The health hazard allowance is a pittance – it needs to increase. However, I think it is important to get an independent risk assessor for impartial advice.MISCELLANEOUS I have read far too many emotional arguments on the subjectof this NMA strike and very little of an objective discourse. It is important that I draw your attention to a few of these. What has become obvious is the lack of understanding of the concept of teamwork. There is a pervasive notion among doctors that the other healthcare workers are there to serve them. JOHESU members think that doctors have become too conceited for their own good and are determined to put them in their “places”. The most important person in the hospital is the patient – not the doctor, nurse, pharmacist or laboratory scientist. Every team member is important and must be respected, including the people who do the least clinical jobs like cleaning; I don’t imagine that any hospital will remain open for long if its cleaners went on strike and dirt was allowed to accumulate to the point where it constitutes ahealth risk. I have heard so many anecdotal accounts of nurses not joining doctors on ward rounds or pharmacists altering prescriptions without first discussing these with the prescribing doctors or laboratory scientist slapping doctors; and these accounts are being given as reasons why doctors must continue to head hospitals. These are disciplinary matters, which should be managed according to existing procedures. These excuses are emotional and should not be used to block the professional development of others. Another recurrent theme in these debates is the abuse of junior doctors by both medical and non-medical staff, which appears to be endemic. There is a consistent account of junior doctors being asked to do other people’s jobs such as collecting blood from blood banks, taking samples to laboratories etc. In extreme cases, these doctors are asked to undertake non-clinical tasks by more senior doctors. This is simply unacceptable! I think it is fair to place the blame for this at the hands of consultants who are responsible to the junior doctors. But this in itself is not a good argument forblocking JOHESU members from becoming consultants in their specialties or for stopping them from heading hospitals if they have the right qualifications.I am concerned that the NMA is losing public sympathy.Increasingly, I hear people describe doctors as selfish and heartless. This is very sad and rather unfortunate. They say doctors do not have any motivation to end the strike because patients are forced to pay exorbitant fees to them in their private hospitals. Those who cannot afford these fees are left to suffer or die. If the NMA has made any efforts to carry the public along, these do not appear to have been effective (yet). CONCLUSIONTo conclude, the current strategy (i.e., recurrent strikes) is not working. Over the last decade or two, the NMA and JOHESU have taken turns to go on strikes. Perhaps, it is time to sit both parties and resolve these contentious issues once and for all. It’s pointless for the government to enter into agreements with one party knowing fully well that the other party will ask for a near-reversal of those agreements. It has become imperative to incorporate Ethics, Team work and Communications into undergraduate curricula.Disciplinary procedures are there for a reason. They must be followed when necessary.Although I practise abroad, I should point out this strike affects me too. My family and friends all live in Nigeria. And who says I am not planning to come home to practise? Lastly, let us be mindful of our own mortality – most of us will be ill some day. When this happens the only thing that will matter to us is to be looked after by caring and competent health-workers regardless of their individual specialisation. We can create that environment if we forget our individual egos and work as a team.
Dr Ijabla Raymond

posting corps members to bokoharam state is like telling them 'go nd die'. pls every one posted there must do all he/she can to relocate to a peaceful state.

Rowlandpaul: Supprisingly, i have not heard any positive coment from any person here. Borno is not as bad as u may think. Come to think of it! Why will God send u to Borno if He have bad intensions for you? instead of thinking of redeploying, i will advice you think on why God is sending you there. Think on maximising the opportunities in the land. God will definately see you tru.

My dear, i believe u are nt in borno state. its wickedness nd evil to encourahlge ppl to go there. stop hiding under religion.
To all d corpers posted to the crises torne states, pls relocate as soon as possible, dont put ur families in sorrow.

congrats to her!

even when job no dey?

no hope for nigerian youth until we unite nd put an end to dis madness!

MzMariah: I can't bring up my kids in anything other than the catholic faith.

Catholic faith or Christian faith, which does God approve?

angela98: Yes it can. It depends on the foundation of ur relationship. In poverty u can make the most of what u have. More so, if u both are contented and maintain your own lane, why not? It also depends on what the couple sees as important in their relatiobship. I can date a poor man and enjoy the relationship wella. Life is not stagnant you know. Humans are intrepid we carry on.

babe u make sense! Will u b my wife?

Rikidony: May God bless GEJ and his cabinet. this man should change the constitution and rule for life his the only right thinking president ever.

And u will remain a servant all d days of ur life, amen.