₦airaland Forum

As sad as this sounds it is the truth, especially for younger doctors fresh from NSYC and internship. Older doctors have either settled to residency, finished or in other career paths. There are actually fewer places for placement in govt hospitals for doctors which is a doctor's 1st choice, creating the need to work with underpaying private hospitals.

About the brain drain thing, it has never been this worse, out of my set of about 20 docs that graduated only 30% are interested in staying and already in residency, the rest are already out, or on their way out. Some are just interested in residency to use the money and pay the expensive foreign exams, once they pass, they just resign and leave. In fact up to 85% resident doctors in govt hospitals have written 1 foreign exams or the other just waiting to leave. We probably may get to a point in future where trained specialists are extremely few. For information sake it takes about 6 to 12 years to train a specialist doctor after medical school, internship and nysc, and 80% of doctors churned out yearly are not interested because of rigorous training, even those interested are disenfranchised by stringent expensive exams with high failure rates and lack of placement. The real endangered set of doctors are these specialist doctors, once the current crop of consultants phase out, there will be serious problems, cos those that should replace them are leaving the country. Its already happening, my mum had breast issues and had to see a consultant general surgeon at National Hospital she was given a 4 months appointment, of course, I was able to intervene promptly, but most ppl will not be lucky enough to have doctors.

I think urgent steps need to be taken to forestall this impending scarcity

All the Christians here shouting up and down. What is the difference between your belief and their own. Or is it because yours was brought by foreigners therefore it is superior?

Foolish journalism, the supplementary election is for the fed and state house of assembly

Fake news,

30 were admitted, 12 left along the way. 18 that remained passed their final exam and it was 100%

This is the problem with many of this private hospitals. Dabbling into matters beyond their area of expertise. Few questions are tho

1. Is the CMD of the said hosp a qualified gynaecologist?
2. Was there a general surgeon with him in theatre during the surgery?
3. What happens to fully confirming the patency and presence of the fallopian tubes with HSG before surgery?
4. Was it really worth all this trouble?

My take is that the CMD ff up big time, and will likely be found wanting. He is not just at risk of losing his license but will face a heavy fine (compensation) and possibly criminal action. I didn't expect this from a senior colleague with 30 years experience.

just sad

[quote author=Sewasaunt post=61401475][/quote]I said I was using my centre as an example and the figures for residents is the current salary scale which has been in effect for more than a year in some centres

It was expected that you will at least consult a real doctors before posting salary scales for the profession. But alas you consulted only mysalaryscale.com. Let me enlighten you abt the scale in my centre.

1. A house officer (doctor on internship) which last for 1year earn around #170000 ( some centers pay more or less ). This is the entry level after medical school but as someone said its difficult to get placement, becos there are few hospitals that are approved to offer the programme. Added to this is that if you cannot get placement within 2years you have to write the medical and dental council exam again and renew ur temporary license. After housejob you are given a permanent license to practice without supervision.

Now this is where it gets interesting cos there are so many options available. MO, teaching, residency, public health, politics, business and what hv you

2. MO is medical officer who is employed by a hosp to work a general practitioner. No added qualification is required and their entry level is #250000 and above. They are promoted and salary increases just like any ministry job till they reach the ceiling. Those at the apex earn slightly above #700000

3. Teaching: a medical doctor can go into just teaching in a medical school at the preclinical level. Additional certification is required (masters and currently Phd). Their salary level starts at around #380000 some centres pay more. Teachers at the clinical side also render clinical services and are called honorary consultants their pay grade is different

4. Residency is a training that allows a doctor to specialise in a specific area or become a consultant. Places offering residency are not equal to d number of doctors seeking d training so again it is difficult to get in. There are different cadres and last on average 6-8 years, Some are as short as 4 years

a) Junior registrars (2 ans half years) salary starts at N 350,000 currently (was less than this in the past) after the part 1 exams they progress to senior registrar
b) Senior registrar whose salary currently starts arouund #500,000. After part 2exams becomes a consultant who is either released or retained by his institution
c) Consultants are appointed by the hosp. They are at the peak of their career. Their salary is #800,000 for the new ones and around #1,200,000 for the senior ones. This is why JOHESU members wants to become consultants
so much. In addition to this pay, this are the groups that can consult in different hospital or have private and big shorts patients that they attend to. Depending on how well connected a consultant a is they can earn more than 5times the figures quoted above

5. The public health physicians can be thru masters in public health or residency in public health. They are the ones that populate the ministry of health and other health related agencies, NGOs, WHO and other health related local and international organisations. They get more grants than consultants in other fields and are often quite boxed up.

6. Being a medical doctor does not bar anyone from owning businesses or partaking in politics. Although some prefer to do that after becoming consultant. Infact I know a consultant who owns a car dealership firm and Ngige and Saraki are medical doctors.

7. Now while waiting for placement or appointment as consultant or commonly before making up your mind which area you want to go into a doctor can work in private hospitals where they owners don't pay so well. The pay could between <#100,000 to >500,000 depending on the location

8. Lemme also address the issue of doctors being broke, yes doctors are human being and each individual is prone to making either good or bad choices, invest wisely or live lavishly, or too lazy to seize the many opportunities being a doctor offers. Our teachers used to tell us that as long you know what you are doing as a doctor you might not necessarily be the Dangotes or Adenugas but you will be very comfortable in life and they were very right.

On a final note, lemme also inform many commentors who probably wanted studying medicine but couldnt and sieze the opportunity to insult every thread related to Nigerian doctors. Yes Nigerian doctors are the worst paid doctors in the entire world, but they are doing their best and can never go hungry if they know what they are doing. Ask yourself this question why doctors trained in Nigeria are among the very best when they leave the country? Its simple, human capital alone is not enough to power any system, you need economic and technological capital. Imagine if all the monies spent on medical tourism by elites, government official and indeed any Nigerian who can afford abroad was used to provide state of arts facilities and needed training of relevant health workers, Nigeria will become a centre of medical tourism itself.

I was told a story in medical school of a top govt official during the Gen Abdulsalam Abubarka regime who went to South Africa for a relative's brain, on arrival he was told that they are waiting for the surgeon from Nigeria (prof. B.B. Shehu). The surgery went very fine and afterwards the govt official was ashamed. This led to building of a neurosurgery centre in Sokoto state.

We can make Nigeria work if we can only have faith on ourselves

In Egypt the Government actually encourages them to do private practice. Pls NL it is not the people that own private practice that go on strike. It consultants that do and they actually dont mind resigning to focus on their private practice which earns them more than 4times what Govt pays. Anyway make me sef come dey check out canada, I honestly didn't want to join the brain drain but with irrelevant decisions like these I hv no choice. Only JOHESU members will be here shouting good move

happybrother:
Doctors in the house what is obtainable in other countries?

Good morning, pls confirm things before posting. The current trend is dt hepatitis C can be eliminated/cured which will halt the progression to chronic liver disease and ca in the 80 - 85% that cannot clear the infection on their own. Am sure if it is truly a doctor that diagnosed the HCV he would hv referred you to a gastroenterologists for further management. Hit me up if you are in Abj lemme refer you to one

When will this FG stop taking us for granted. Are they sponsoring IPOB to make sticks or buy machetes or sow flags and other customised clothes? Even a poor man in Nigeria can sponsor these. I do not support any secession movt but I maintain that IPOB are not terrorists and if the FG continues in this ignorance let them go ahead and kill all the terrorists because that's what even the international community expects of treatments of terrorist. But I must advice this foolish govt of the day, the IPOB agitation is one mistake from becoming a tribal or even regional movement. They shd note that you don't aim a bow unless you are ready to shoot. Kindly retrace d mistake b4 it's too late, because I know this IPOB will still hold rallies upon rallies and I hope the army will be ready to gun down unarmed terrorist. Whoever is advising Buhari shd remind him that this is 2017, you don't intimidate a ppl into submission. And you dont quench fire with fuel. A word is enough for the wise

That's anencephaly, the brain didnt develop with the rest of the body. It has nothing to do with trying to remove the baby

christejames:
Maybe the mum tried removing the baby at the advanced staged of her pregnancy. Any medic in the house to explain this congenital deformity better?

But it's ASUU not ASSU

Finally a piece of gud news. Meanwhile FTC

Nigerian army, this is a very big mistake. I don't need glasses to see the foolishness in this. If you say IPOB members are terrorists then kill them and see the trouble you will unleash on the country. The government keeps playing into this guys hands biko who is advising Buhari

Useless show of force by a useless Government. After making this Nk popular, they keep playing into his hands every day. Can't they just ignore this IPOB for one day? They more they exhibit this level of foolishness the more they turn conservative igbos and other tribes to NK's side

u r kidding right?

Nice move china, let ppl choose their beliefs for themselves not someone choosing for them from infancy

I tire

Good one there Ijaw youths. Posterity will remember Nnamdi Kanu as the man who stood for a cause and was never afraid to lay down his life for that cause. As a SS I think it's hightym we learn from this man. I may not support the idea of deviding Nigeria but it is evident that we can not continue like this. There is a dire need for restructuring [color=#990000][/color]