..meeting with NMA deadlocked

The House of Representatives today threatened to issue warrant of arrest against Minister of health Onyebuchi Chukwu for shunning a rescheduled meeting with the lawmakers to end the ongoing doctors' strike.

This came as the House observed that Chukwu is not showing any commitment toward ending the strike as he failed to attend a meeting with the committee on health which was rescheduled to today from Monday.

Briefing the lawmakers at plenary on the outcome of their meeting with the health stakeholders earlier, chairman of the committee on health Rep Godwin Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) said from all indications, Chukwu and his officials do not want the doctors' strike to end any time soon.

He said the committee after holding a partial meeting with stakeholders on Monday decided to reschedule it as finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Head of Service, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji and Director-General of the Budget Office, Bright Okogu were all absent and did not send any representative.

But at today's meeting which was scheduled for 10:am, the lawmakers waited up till about 11:30, but none of the officials turned up, with only Minister of labour Emeka Wogu, a representative of the SGF and chairman of the Salaries and Wages Commission.

Chukwu who had attended Monday's meeting did not turn up for today's session and did not send any representative, a situation which angered the lawmakers.

Elumelu suggested to the House that Chukwu and the other government officials be re-summoned but that should he fail, the House should invoke its constitutional powers on warrant of arrest.

Similarly, minority whip Samson Osagie suggested that Chukwu should be made to appear before the committee within 24 hours.

However, ruling on the matter, Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal directed that Chukwu should expeditiously attend to the committee, otherwise the House would resort to other ways of forcing him to attend.

source

Morotov1: From Physicians --- to medical doctors.......to consultant. You only have monopoly to physician.. All your analogues are so wrong, why not compare them to the Engineering team where you have all manner of professionals arriving to a point to achieve a common goal, but none driving others to the background. Architect does his thing...leaves room for the surveyor, Engineers and supports each other where necessary.
You level of reasoning is really warped to believe chemist should be allowed to work as a pharmacist, what exactly do you think is the different between nutritionist and a dietician?.
Continue your nurse argument until they take over your job.

hell would freeze over before the bolded happens!

OITNB is nice.not too wonderful though.
alex vause is hot abeg!!! (alot better looking now than in that 70's show.the black hair suits her)
my best characters...pennsatucky,crazy eyes,caputo and pornstache.....crazy people....all of em....
....and i love the way fig rights all her wrongs to caputo in episode 13.....epic!

for some weird reason the transgender chick,sophia turns me on.....its scary!!!!

naijababe:

Looks like I spoke too soon, S1 E13 looks like everybody else has finally woken up. It looks like it will all come crashing down like a ' House of cards' S2 should be quite meaty.

house of cards is up there with GOT. get the subtitles so you can pay attention to the conversations.the heights he and his wife are willing to go to,the scheming is what makes it a classic. but from the emotions you are betraying here,you might even be more pissed at the end of season 2.

In Nigeria since when has the public sympathy/opinion ever gotten anything done...we all are selfish..even when I discuss with members of the public they say 'I get your point, but you have to see patients ..people will die'.... and I tell them my profession is dying and you want me to stand and do nothing...what did any of you do when this started?, how many of you have ever stood up for the dr beyond wanting free health services? How many of you ever considered striking or crying for me when these issues started getting waves?...nobody.....meanwhile engineers dont want technicians to be called engineers, barristers dont want clerks to be addressed as barristers or SAN, pharmacists wont want chemists to be employed as pharmacists and there is even a running battle between nutritionists and dieticians....I am tired...I am not proud but I take pride in my profession, I dont claim to be superior but I know am very good at what I do....till the day I see a truly altruistic nigerian....I am really not interested in public sympathy...finito...

eejo: where is the confidentiality of patient you will soon be in jail

did you see the patients biodata up there

abuchilag: You people should stop this cheap blackmail.
A complete team is made up of both the coaching crew,the players and the goal keeper. Don't expect to put a play in the post as the goal keeper and dont expect the goal keeper to play as a striker.
The all work together as a strong indivisible formidable team.

The nurse that prescribed the "rubbish" could be an auxiliary nurse and not a qualified nurse. What do you have to say about senior nursing officers that teach some doctors how to handle some medical issues?

They must work as a team and if you rise to the position of occupying a leadership post in the system, nothing will stop you - whether you are a pharmacist , nurse, med lab scientist etc. So long as you got there by merit and good track record.

I a football team, anybody can be the captain....goal keepers, defenders, midfielders and strikers. The condition are :
1• your wealth of experience
2• years of service
3• contribution to the success of the team.

These doctors should go and reflect on the oath they took and stop being "killers in robes"
If they are duly registered as labour group, why not approach NIC for settlement of dispute, just like JOHESU did.

Disclaimer: The opinion above is my personal view as a good Nigerian. I am a seasoned banker and successful business entrepreneur. No body should think that I am a member of JOHESU.

your opinion is noted and respected.thanks for stopping by.

got this from a friends facebook wall;

My friend just called me now that He went to the hospital with his father who was complaining of Headache and Epigastric pain of five days duration. On getting to the general outpatient department, they found a Nurse on duty and his father presented his complaints and his blood pressure was one thirty-seventy. My friend then asked...What is wrong with baba. The Nurse told him that Baba has hypertension plus fever and the following drugs were prescribed to them:
Tab Nifedipine twenty mg three times daily
Tab Amlodipine ten mg three times daily
Tab Aldomet five hundred mg twice daily
Tab Moduretic hundred mg three times daily
Tab Dilclofenac seventy five mg twice daily
Tab Vitamin C hundred mg daily
And they were told to come back next week when Doctors call off their strike.......I was a little bit asleep but this terrible blunders Woke me Up....

......these are the people who want to be consultants.they want a situation where it is legal for them to prescribe the above rubbish. if nma looses this fight,at least history would have recorded that we spoke up against this nonsense.

i nearly fractured a rib laughing at the bolded

stine b: For your information, CT scan is not the most complex Imaging modality.Unless you mean that's the highest you have seen and admired .I'm pleased to inform you of other recent Imaging modalities such Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography scans. I'm sure you haven't heard about them, yet you claim to know all that cocerns Healthcare as a Doctor. There is need for consultacy in Radiography, Pharmacy,Physiotherapy,Nursing and Medical Laboratory Scientist. I pity you guys. This is just the beginning of your end.

so MRI and PET are new modalities . radiographers also carry out PET studies abi??

people who know nothing trying to shove half backed knowledge down out throats.

Elythron16zero4: If you are a doctor as i presume that u are one taking a lead from your stance on this matter and you don't know what a prognosis is and when it's wrong then it leaves much to be desired of you and calls to credibility the source of your certificate. visit MedicineNet.com

and you are further making a fool of yourself...no offence. thats why he was laughing at you because you are throwing words around all in the bid to give an opinion. please what is "faulty prognosis" ? educate us since we are quacks....

Slimchy09:

ok
1. Why shouldnt the National Health Bill be passed?

2. Why must only Doctors be CMD?

3. Whats ur beef wt the salary structure of JOHESU?

4. NMA is nt even a trade union just an association...y did Industrial court throw out ur injunction and then u sought to blackmail FG wt strike action.

5. Why is NMA clamoring to have entry level doctors in govt hospitals @ GL14 when they were previously @ GL13...two levels higher than other health professionals nt minding the fact that it takes up to 10years to move to a single level?

Can u answer that...?

okay let me indulge you.
1.when did NMA say that the national health bill shouldnt be passed? they just want grey areas ironed out.simple

2.google 'cheif medical director' .i hope you know there is a positon of director admin open to all.besides new research indicates hospitals run by doctors run better than those with out a doc at the head.

3.no beef with CONHESS. nma is only advocating that relativity be maintained.

4.is ASUU a trade union??

5.entry level for HOs is grade level 10. if you illegally skip a level for johesu,you erode the relativity.

jide olubiyi: @phantom. So many words, so much tedium and yet you fail to convince the reader that you're not yet another sentimental health worker, in your case so disgustingly skewed in the favour of medical doctors. I do not work in the hospital and that alone hasn't stopped me from making the following observations:
1) When medical doctors go on strike (which they do with about the same consistency as you blink) the other health workers have never been known to initiate a counter strike with no other motive than to thwart the demands of the medical doctors. How come the medical doctors feel they have the right to hold the entire nation to ransom just because the demands of the other health workers were favourably considered by the government? This is a very bad precedence medical doctors are establishing; even if they return happy from this strike, what should stop JOHESU from not staging their own counter-counter strike?
2) Whenever an argument (valid or not) is raised perceived by other health professionals and considered to be against the Nigerian medical doctors, the medical doctors immediate try to explain it away by saying the attitude of these other health professionals stem from their anger at not being able to enter or complete medical education. This sounds very ignorant, naive and stupid for anyone to say considering that everyone has his flair and personal reasons for choosing either nursing, anatomy, medicine, or philosophy. And in fact, most brightest minds will be drawn to basic sciences such as mathematics, statistics, physics, law, chemistry, and engineering courses because these require more analytical reasoning and creative mind than medicine which most of the doctors scale through by dumb memorization (a.k.a. cramming).
3) Nigerian medical doctors seem to have an unusual disease- the compulsion to dictate the remuneration, professional development, as well as the fate of all other health professionals. This is both arrogant and absurd considering that each profession is properly autonomous. Medicine is a profession. Nursing is another. So is Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory Science. Just the same way the other health professionals have no business with the way things are run within the medical profession, the medical doctors should stop poke-nosing in the affairs of the other professions
4) Medical doctors (perfectly exemplified by the illiterate who wrote the main article on this thread) have a knack for playing down on the roles of the other healthcare professionals. You went about boring us with how important the medical doctor is in patient management, after attending to your patient Mr Doctor, don't you go home to sleep while the nurses stay awake with the patient attending to his every need? And yet you think patient care is all about you. How about the countless number of cases where medical doctors have been reported to err in writing drug prescriptions; if the pharmacists aren't there to save the day (which they usually do without feeling the need to shout it on the rooftop), how many more patients do you suppose you would have murdered? And yet, to you patient management is all about you, and you alone.

This is the right time the Nigerian public should rise up and demand what they deserve. Be it medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, scientists, they are all intended to serve the interest of the public. And we are not as dumb as these professional clowns would want to portray us. We are Nigerians living in Nigeria and we sure know how to interpret the goings-on. The committee that granted Johesu's demands were not health professionals, they were Nigerians who used their discretion to judge the reasonableness of their demand. And the on-going NMA's strike is nothing more than calling the bluff of the Nigerian public, that we are not capable of deciding on such basic and plain things as this.

and of course you went ahead and wrote an article filled with the very same emotions and sentiments you accussed me of. funny. when you start asking the right questions,i ll take you up. till then,you just passed through this thread.

vinnyvinny:

I can see that it is an incontrovertible fact that there are non medical consultants in more developed societies like in the U.S and U.K. It is also wrong that doctors should blanketly oppose the appointment of non medical consultants. The issue should be is Nigeria ripe for such. We cannot just say because there are non medical consultants in U.K then there must be non medical consultants in NIgerian hospitals. Medical doctors should accept the fact that with development in the field of medical research there wld definitely be need for non medical consultants in different fields. Most of the teaching hospitals I've been oppourtuned to visit in this country are nothing but mere secondary health facilities where no ground breaking researches are conducted. It is hard to imagine why one wld need non medical consultant in these facilities because it won't add value to patient care as presently constituted. If government is able to upgrade our health facilities to tertiary level am sure the medical doctors would be the ones to even clamuor for other health workers to be employed especially in the field of research. It is hard to think of why one wld need a consultant medical lab scientist when all that the majority of labs in our hospital do I learnt includes full blood count, mp, genotype, ESR, blood group, pcv, microscopy and sensitivity, u & e, urinalysis, cultures, serology and other basic test that should be conducted by lab technicians. These investigations I must confess are below what a medical lab scientist should be doing talk more of a medical lab scientist consultant. This vehement clamour for consultancy position by JOHESU at this stage of our medical development in my humble observation is for ego and fianacial gain. At some stage in our development I learnt almost all medical doctors in Nigeria were medical officers and the lab technicians were in charge of the labs. As we evolved we saw the need for various medical specialties hence medical consultants and lab scientists as we have today. It is inevitable that we would eventually have non medical consultants if we continue to develop our health sector but for now we are far from that reality. Other health workers need to better themselves academically so that they can be ready for the enormous challenge ahead. Objective observers would agree that JOHESU as a union is an antagonistic alliance. Most JOHESU members are quick to talk about what is obtainable abroad but from my research there is no such alliance of unrelated medical professionals abroad. The only thing that could have cemented this union which is missing is the doctor. The doctor is what all the units that make up JOHESU have in common. I also observed that most JOHESU members are quick to insult medical doctors which is rather strange. You call them half baked and incompetent yet you want to be treated as equals with these "incompetent doctors". This stark of inferiority complex. You need to be proud of your profession. When members of the public erroneously think you are a medical doctor don't just smile and fail to correct them. Be proud to say "sorry mister am not a medical doctor am an optometrist or physiotherapist or lab scientist" and educate them on your job description. Be proud of your profession. On a lighter note the story was told of a female optometrist parading herself as a doctor in the community her bubble bursted when a convulsing child was rushed to her she was so confused that she fainted. If only she had told them she was not a medical doctor even though she has a Dr before her name. Is it right for government to pay call duty monthly to optometrist when I learnt they don't take calls. Who wld require an emergency refraction or low viaion assesament at 1am. These are some of the irregularity that government has created and every body in the health sector explore. Medical doctors should learn to accommodate other health professionals and treat them with respect. This unnecessary phobia is uncalled for. We know you spent many years during your training. It was by choice I believe. Don't be afraid when other people are trying to seek advancement. God has by your calling place you at the apex of the medical field and every JOHESU member know that in their heart though they would never admit it. That is why it is you they seek when they or a member of their family is ill. No lab scientist goes to a fellow lab scientist when he is ill. One cannot isolate NMA or JOHESU from the larger decay that is obtainable in the larger society. Their member are drawn from this same society where corruption is the order of the day. I would conclude by saying doctor should prepare their minds for non medical consultant in the future as our hospitals as composed presently have no place for such except if a clueless government want anarchy to rein. JOHESU should stop this campaign of calumny against medical doctors in other to achieve their aims. MEDICAL DOCTORS ARE FIRST AMONG EQUALS.

o my o my!!!!!! are you nigerian? i read this post with tears in my eyes and clapping at the same time. god bless you. i wish every nigerian can think like you. this is definitely post of the week. hope you dont mind if i share. i am so impressed!!!
the bolded is what i expected the sensible nairalanders here to debate.you will live long o jare!

iwonbaoko: Salary ratios should not be set arbitrarily.Salary ratio is a matter of demand and supply. In short an economic issue not an egotistic one. Who set the salary ratio of Footballers to volleyballers or footballers to doctors.
No one agitates to say that cleaners should not get the highest pay.If the MARKET decides cleaners deserve the highest pay everyone will become a cleaner and the market will change its mind.If the market decides that nurses deserve the highest pay very good this just makes life easy.No need to go to medical school anymore Shikena!!

What determines the pay of any worker is not how clever he is or how long he spent in school but how much the MARKET IS WILLING TO PAY. This would work not just in an INTER disciplinary way but also an INTRA disciplinary way. So e.g the question would arise should Surgeons earn the same with paediatricians and psychiatrists etc.
Overcentralization of wages means some doctors "CARRY" other doctors who might not be as productive. This might not be obvious when we look at SALARIES but when you look at LOCUM pay you will discover that MARKET FORCES determine who gets what.
In summary employers pay you for what you do not what you know. If I am running a hospital business I know I will get more money for Hip replacements,IVF, etc than for treating hypertension or diabetes and the pay reflects that. In the oil industry some deep water welders earn more than Engineers. This is all down to demand and supply and not how long you spent in school. I have seen situations where Psychiatrists earn up to 50% more than physicians who work"harder" in terms of exertion simply because of shortages.I have seen also Specialist nurses earn more than physicians for similar reasons. The way the market works if such a situation is sustained it would attract new entrants and a new equilibrium is found. No one can force a price of garri on the market unless there is a distortion.The market will equilibrate and this applies to salaries too. If a particular job is attracting distorted high salaries it will attract a lot of entrants until there is oversupply and not even medicine is immune from this principle. A similar example would apply to location : Many doctor prefer to work in the cities or south and so employers would need to pay a premium to attract quality doctors to rural areas like Chibok or Damaturu.

very true!!!

21.it is not repetition. your government has been known to carry out policies in certain places to the exclusion of others. tomorrow you might hear just the FMCs are having problems with funding

22.its not worth striking for abi? so worth is actually worth striking for to you we strike for money,you then ask why dont we strike for better equipments in the hospitals.....nigerians and hypocrisy!!!

23.apart from position of CMD,there is a position of director of admin(DA)....its open to all. but in my opinion,position of CMD should be open to anybody with some sort of MANAGEMENT training.

11.100k hazard is too small. when it comes to doctors you remember we have a bloated recurrent expenditure.tell that to your senators. hazard generally for healthcare professionals shouldnt be less than 150k.

12.what is wrong with the word 'must' when your leaders are too dumb to be reasoned with.

13.the pathologists should tackle this.dont know what to say.

14. not worth striking for ALONE.
15.this is one of the most important because it addresses TRAINING. definitely worth striking for.

16.how is owing resident doctors in owerri for months fair? and what do you mean by 'what if is not in the interest of the public'?
19.so the govt should turn a blind eye and should not be held responsible for security? even when the doctors remained cool in the midst of violence?


20.please where else does it happen that i am paid 85% of my salary in january,90% in february,92% in march BUT i gave you 100% service. very funny.

iiiyyyk:

U just wrote selfish rubish.
Allow physiotherapist to be consultants in physiotherapy, pharmacist become consultant pharmacist etc and drs become consultant surgeons, cardiologists etc how does that stop or affect a doctor
Is our health care better than that of uk, USA ??

NMA and co, are just being egocentric, wicked, selfish, deceptive and unreasonable.

our society is too backward for the above reasoning.thats why NMA is saying no. please attack me logically and not emotionally.thanks

1.what is medical advisory comittee
The Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) is accountable to the Board of Directors

The Committee is in place to promote the highest standards of medical care throughout the hospital. Through its subcommittees, the MAC monitors and approves initiatives for improving the quality of care provided to patients and their families. The MAC provides general supervision over the practice of medicine, dentistry and midwifery in the hospital and is an important link to addressing issues that impact Credentialed Professional Staff members (physicians, dentists and midwives) clinically and professionally.

The MAC makes recommendations to the Boards of Directors concerning matters prescribed by the Public Hospitals Act including:

The quality of care provided in the Hospital by the Credentialed Professional Staff;
The By-Laws respecting any Credentialed Professional Staff;
The clinical and general rules regarding the Credentialed Professional Staff;
Privileges granted to each member of the Credentialed Professional Staff;
Appointment and reappointment to the Credentialed Professional Staff; and,
The dismissal, suspension or restrictions of privileges of any member of the Credentialed Professional Staff.

The MAC assists and advises the Board and the Chief Executive Officer in carrying out the requirements of the Western Affiliation Agreements as they apply to the Credentialed Professional Staff. The MAC also facilitates the development and maintenance of Rules and Regulations, Policies and ethical guidelines and procedures related to the roles of the Credentialed Professional Staff.

the MAC in many countries has many roles including regulating clinical training,clinical services,admin and finance,e.t.c
in many teaching hospitals there are 2 dcmacs 1 for clinical services and the 2nd for clinical training.in my opinion these 2 are okay but indications are rife that sectors like finance may need its own deputy cmac.
afterall in many other ministries not as important as health a director has multiple deputies.

2. i have no problem with appointing directors for the other depts e.g director,nursing services,director pharmaceutical services and so on BUT NMAs position just like the issue of consultancy is that it definitely will cause conflicting treatment for our patients and induce anarchy

3.skipping for johesu and not for docs will erode further the relativity

4.i agree with you 100% here

5.the circular in which the federal govt corrected the errors in the 2009 circular and partially restored relativity

6.30% coberage by NHIS is not enough!! health insurance is not worth striking for? are you kidding me because you can afford it??

7.the public health department should be put under a surgeon general.that post has to be created. theres is attorney-general of the fed,accountant-general and surveyor-general.why should health be different.even in US they have two ministers and a surgeon general

8.this is the correction of the error in the yaradua circular.remeber that as at that time we hadnt seen the CONHESS circular to compare.

9. its even too small.remember that honorary consultants are paid by ministry of education.they are ASUU members.
10.so what do you suggest they do when agreements are not kept to??

barcanista:

@nmanigeria: 1. That the Circular on Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory C'ttee remains status quo and maintained. #NMAStrike
WHY?

@nmanigeria: 2. That all Health Workers shld attain the height of their careers (GL17) w/out the title Directors' in hospital setting. #NMAStrike

Why should a Civil Servant denied the privilege of being a "Director" when he has attained the rank? How does this affect the Medical practice?

@nmanigeria: 3. That GL 12(CONMESS 2) MUST BE SKIPPED for Medical and Dental Practitioners. #NMAStrike

What's their reason? Didn't they negotiate and agreed on the CONMESS structure few years ago?

@nmanigeria: 4. The title 'Consultant' confers ownership of the patient on the Specialist Doctor and shldnt be used by any other health worker #NMAStrike
Having read "Detailed" explanation by Med. Docs, I see POINT here. However, the Docs should TELL us the WHY and encourage others to adopt and follow ONLY INTERNATIONAL Standard if they want to attain the "Consultant" Rank. This will promote the respective professions and health sector. Also the Govt should "DEFINE" boundaries of those professionals that has successfully attained "Consultant rank" in order not to have conflict in the workplace.

@nmanigeria: 5. Relativity in health sector is sacrosanct. The NMA hereby demands for immediate implementation of the Jan 3rd, 2014 circular. #NMAStrike
What's the Circular?

@nmanigeria: 6. That Govt shld expedite the passage of the National Health Bill and extend Universal Health Coverage to 100% of Nigerians.... #NMAStrike

This is just a sympathy ploy... Already the Senate(Or Reps has passed the NH Bill(As Amended by the relevant stakeholders in the sector)

@nmanigeria: The current NHIS only covers 30% of Nigerians which is inadequate. 1kobo/sec call extra of Telecomm charges is a source of CHIF. #NMAStrike


@nmanigeria: CHIF is the Community Health Insurance Fund as prescribed by the Nigerian Medical Association, earlier in the year. #NMAStrike

Good but NOT Worth Striking for at the expense of patients health
@nmanigeria: 7. Surgeon-General of the Federation MUST be appointed with immediate effect as pronounced by President Goodluck Jonathan. #NMAStrike

No way... We already have Two Health Ministers as well as other Leaders. What will be the function of SGF? What if other Professionals start Advocating for their? Public Relations General of the Federation, Pharmacist General of the Federation, Engineer General of the Federation, Marketing General of the Federation, Teacher General of the Federation... NEVER ending Generals of The Federation

@nmanigeria: 8. That the Entry point of House Officer shld be corrected to CONMESS 1 Step 4 while Registrar/Med Officer is CONMESS 3 Step3. #NMAStrike

Why again? You NEGOTIATED the Present structure with Musa Yaradua

@nmanigeria: 9. That Clinical Duty Allowance for Honorary Consultants should be increased by 90% of CONMESS. #NMAStrike

Why? As 8 Above

@nmanigeria: 10. That Specialist allowance be adjusted as contained in the 2009 collective bargaining agreement. #NMAStrike

If It has been agreed on, I support. But not worth striking for

@nmanigeria: 11. Hazard Allowance must be at least N100,000 per month for Medical Doctors. #NMAStrike

No way...We are crying that Recurrent Expenditure is an alarming HIGH... 30-40k is fair

@nmanigeria: 12. Immediate release of the circular on rural posting, teaching and other allowances which MUST include House Officers. #NMAStrike

You can't use MUST when negotiating... Between more details?
@nmanigeria: 13. Immediate withdrawal of the CBN circular authorising the MLSCN to approve licences for importation of Invitro Diagnostics. #NMAStrike

No way, the CBN or MLSCN is not an apendage of Physicians. You should GO to Court to challenge their decision IF you feel you have a case. NOT WORTH striking...

@nmanigeria: 14. Immediate release of Circular on retirement age for Medical Doctors as agreed with the Federal Government. #NMAStrike

Well This I agree but "NOT necessarily immediate and NOT worth striking for"
@nmanigeria: 15. That the FG release the agreed templates on appointment of Resident Drs +Funding framework and Overseas clinical attachment. #NMAStrike

This the govt should do but NOT worth striking for

@nmanigeria: 18. That the FMOH directive on NARD-FMC Owerri issue be effected immediately. #NMAStrike

What IF it is not in the INTEREST of the public?

@nmanigeria: 19. That the orchestrated intimidation, harassment and physical assault of Doctors by Lab Scientists must stop. #NMAStrike

Go to court or report erring personnel to the appropriate quarters. Govt didn't ask anyone to fight you

@nmanigeria: 20. The endless circle of incomplete salary payment to our members in hospitals hinged on personnel cost shortfalls must stop. #NMAStrike
This is not peculiar to ONLY Physicians

@nmanigeria: 21. That Universal applicability of all circulars on the remuneration and conditions of service for Doctors must be guaranteed. #NMAStrike

This is repitition

@nmanigeria: 22. That Govt shld as a matter of urgency set up a Health Trust Fund for upgrading of all hospitals in Nigeria. #NMAStrike

SO ON POINT but It doesnt worth srtiking

@nmanigeria: 23. That position of Medical Director/CMD must be occupied by a Medical Doctor as in the Act establishing tertiary Hospitals. #NMAStrike

Why? CMD/MD is an Administrative office. It is the prerogative of the employer to appoint person that he feels has the [b]competence to occupy it. It is not an EXCLUSIVE preserve of a particular group[/b]

I dey drive.when I reach house.

eby001: this country is a fcukd up country. NMA AND JOHESU ARE JUST GRABBING AT STRAW.
until a police officer can carry himself with dignity without asking for #20,then will start to believe
until mr president can board a cab in this country, then i will start to believe.
until a level 12 civil servant can earn more than a senator, then i will start to believe.
some believe the world is cynical that we will go back to the dark ages. i think i'm starting to believe so.

the health sector is the only sector that still has some sanity but they want to scatter it.

Ampicillin:

Oga, what do you mean by ''differentiate'' oh you want everybody to see you from afar and say that is the consultant coming? patients are not dunce as you think, let the professional knowledge you have to offer and benefit the patient differentiate you (as permitted under the law as long as you don't encroach into others territory) white gown, stethoscope, etc are professional tools they are not objects of shoulder raising, what you do for the patients will tell them who you are, if you ask patients about their medications/drug related questions, they already know who you are, forget title, doctorate title is not a reward for spending years in the university, it is scientific knowledge and what you can offer the public. I am an advocate of team work with everyone respecting the other and not one person thinking he's the dictator, you must comply by his order even if he is make graven and glaring mistakes that is against my own professional ethics

........are you in Nigeria? seems to me you are in denial. 80% of our populace can't differentiate a Pharm from a doc.you know its true.this has resulted in people seeking specialist healthcare from people WHO SHOULD NOT BE GIVING IT.the few who know the difference still go to the pharmacist because of poverty. take a poll. find out how many of our women know who a consultant OBGYN is.
our people are not enlightened and on top of that, poor.

barcanista:
@Bold: I have been firing based on the Information presented by NMA and JOHESU. Honestly, I took my time to relax, read and evaluate both sides and HONESTLY Doctors do have some TANGIBLE demands and also some Obnoxious ones.
The NMA/Doctors should have told Nigerians the "WHY" of their opposition to JOHESU members attaining "Consultancy" status within few years by just acquiring a Postgraduate degree or work experience. Instead of just OPPOSING like that.

The NMA should have also explained the process by which an Average Doctor go through before attaining the Rank/Position/Title of a "Consultant". This will enable us reason with them rather than just say... "We oppose".

The Medical Hazard Allowance of 100k is obnoxious and unacceptable. An amount of 35/40k should be fine

The Doctors/NMA should encourage other "Professionals" to grow and possibly reach the peak of their profession but MUST follow International standard(and not shortcut).

Honestly, the Medical Profession has a HIGH STANDARD but the leadership of NMA/NARD should consider their strategies and how they press home their demands.

now you are posting like the barcanista I know. what are the obnoxious demands.let me tackle them individually. why is 100k too much for hazard?

barcanista: How true is the bold? If true then the Doctors should learn how to Hire professionals to fine tune that demands.
The NMA demands (as presented) reek greed, selfishness, wickedness and blackmail which is unacceptable in any climes.

you can see that you be been firing from all cylinders without actually knowing what's going on. a new resident will write an exam called 'primary' in his chosen field in both the west African and national colleges.each exam is about 40 or 50 k..... not sure again. before attempting these exams he must have had at least two update courses . he has 3 chances after which he's booted out. if he passes he has to train for two or three years before attempting another exam called the part 1 exams still in both colleges. each about 65k and still 3 chances or you get booted out. he spends another two to three years if he passes part 1 and attempts the final part 2 exam before consultancy. each is 120 k and he has to write a research thesis separate from the main exam. still has 3 chances. he passes and becomes a consultant. it is a tedious postgraduate training programme and we don't joke with it.

what johesu is asking for is akin to letting them throw a giant rock into a market place. I am sorry BUR NMA won't allow it. tomorrow when Nigerians start seeing the ripple effects they ll still turn back and point a finger at the doctor. its not fair.
every right thinking Nigerian should stand up now and condemn it. we are complaining about our shameful health indices due partly to QUACKERY. there are many pharmacist s lab techs and nurses practicing medicine.prescribing drugs and cutting people open. it happens everyday. it is wrong because these people are not licensed to do that.
what the govt wants to do now is LEGALISE that quackery.why? nurses and pharmacists will tell patients they are also consultants and our people are to illiterate to know who is who. anarchy will be the order and of course our health indices will plunge further. your govt will then employ all sorts of emergency and knee jerk solutions to the problem meanwhile they planted the tree years back. Nma says no!

opey25: DR phantom,u don't have to be arrogant just because u are a doc.there are lots of engineers in telecomms firms,IT,oil and gas that earn big bucks yet we don't brag.u said 100k is even too small as hazard allowance,that means security personnels like the police should be paid 1m as hazard allowance cos their job is more hazardous than yours

if our country was well run, my hazard allowance wouldn't be up to half of that of our security personnel. this issue is not about earning big bucks but doing the right thing for the health sector.

ikechiozo:

Do you have to make your point by insulting people? or is it part of the medical training?

brother take it easy.I am sorry if you feel insulted. i only tried to make you understand you can't report radiographs or CTS when your training didn't teach you epidemiology and pathophysiology of diseases.its not just to know patterns.anyone can know patterns. but because of my training as a doctor I not only know those patterns,I can explain to you WHY those patterns are there and can also QUESTION THE ABSENCE of particular patterns I expect in certain disease processes.so you can see I armed to the teeth with information that already puts me at an advantage and makes me the GO TO GUY in the field. sorry once again if you felt insulted.wasn't intended.

Ampicillin:

Are the professors that become the VC and DVC in the universities from the faculty of Education only, is the position of the Chief of Defence Staff meant for only the army when there are more qualified officers in the navy and the airforce? why do doctors think they own the patients, have the patients not come to the hospitals for joint health care from health practitioners with everyone doing his/her professional bit, can any patient come to the hospital and see a doctor without passing through the nurse, the lab scientist, the pharmacist, etc. A proud man is he that sees others as nothing but himself. the problem in the health sector today is ''nobody else but me'' attitudes by the doctors and the patient will be the loser if not checked.

the patient comes to see me THE DOCTOR and I DICTATE WHO to INVOLVE in patient care. that's why I am number 1. I request for lab work and radiological investigations and I write prescriptions for the pharmacist to dispense. I write out the plan the nurses ADHERE TO OR FOLLOW. why are you so blind to see that the doctor is CENTRAL and indeed owns the patient. none of these other professionals come into contact first with the patient. I DO and its my choice to involve them. qed

oluks05:


My guy u have said it all.

they would rather die than have privatization. I want to know how pathcare is faring in luth. if privatization works,why not try it?

s!s! afrika:
u are this ignorant yet u keep crying nay! And u see, its laughable right? Hw else can u be malicious? Google is ur frend. No one ever said u would be a consultant without going through the necessary college. This people are so impossible and nechanical and we trust ourlives with them? God have mercy. Certified killers.

quit the insults and emotions miss Eliza and shame me by listing the various postgraduate colleges for the allied professionals.simple as ABC.

s!s! afrika:
if we can diffrentiate a consultant pediatrician from a consultant pathologist why won't we be able to do same for a driver and nurse, d job description is clear. Ur arguments are embarrassing, coming from an illogical 'doctor'. Quit feeling threatened and face ur personal development. Stop killing our patients with ur fractional baked knowledge. D real doctors are out there minding there businesses, ur throwing tantrums online. Quite shameful.

you can differentiate.can our largely illiterate population do?that is the discussion.don't get all emotional on me. this thing will be abused and you johesuites know it.

vinnyvinny: What input would a consultant lab scientist or consultant physiotherapist or nurse give in the care of a patient that is currently lacking. I would also like to be educated on the requirements to become any of the above.

this is the vital question. sadly even they CANNOT give you an answer..... they've not drawn up a postgraduate training plan. for instance, I think our country would be better served if you had special care baby unit ( SCBU )with specialist nurses. cardiothoracic nurses, emergency care nurses, peadiatric nurses, geriatric nurses and so on....then you can approach the government with whatever because you have added high value to yourselves.