₦airaland Forum

JOHESU AND NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT VS NMA HEALTH BATTLE: THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER
By Fejiro Oliver
The equal right of all citizens to health, education, work, food, security, culture, science, and wellbeing – that is, the same rights we proclaimed when we began our struggle, in addition to those which emerge from our dreams of justice and equality for all inhabitants of our world – is what I wish for all. Fidel Castro
This is a long write-up for intellectuals who can research and not those who dwell in shallow arguments.
For two years, I purposely stayed away from writing as an individual on issues that bothered about the health sector in Nigeria, to enable me research on the true international best practices and come out with an informed and none bias position. Apart from education and defense, the most important aspect of a country is its health sector. Sadly enough, the sector in Nigeria has been bedeviled by animosity and fierce battle between the two prominent groups, namely; Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
JOHESU consists of all workers in the hospitals apart from Physicians and Dentists who make up NMA. I have decided to skip the word ‘doctor’ for a reason, which will be explained later. Nigeria is currently shut down with death toll rising every twenty four hours since JOHESU embarked on their strike last week. Despite the Federal Government refusal to pay them April salaries, they are bent on not going to work, until their demands are met. The argument from both sides is reasonable, depending on the prism through which one views it.
JOHESU is insisting that the FG honors all the agreement it reached with them, especially as it has to do with allowing their members to reach consultancy level, upward review of the CONHESS salary as agreed with FG, retirement age at 65 and few others. NMA on the other hand believes that the increment in salary for JOHESU will place them at par. They have also fought some JOHESU professionals from attaining consultancy status as well as using the prefix ‘Doctor’ before their name.
First of all, who is a Doctor? The word was never a medical word from origin. It is a Latin word from 1300, which means “Church father,” from Old French doctour, from Medieval Latin doctor “religious teacher, adviser, scholar,” in classical Latin “teacher,” agent noun from docere “to show, teach, cause to know,” originally “make to appear right,” causative of decere “be seemly, fitting,” from PIE root dek- “to take, accept”, as defined by etymonline. When the art of healing came into serious practice, the word ‘Doctor’ was used to replace the word ‘leech’, which they were initially called.
It therefore brings us to the argument on those entitled to use the suffix ‘Dr’ before their names in the health sector. First of all, it’s an acceptable fact that no one went to school to study ‘doctoring’. Unlike Engineers who derived their title from their course of study, this is not entirely so in the health sector.
In the school of health or school of medicine, as it’s called in different universities, the courses are Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Medical Rehabilitation or Physical Medicine, Radiography, Medical Laboratory and Optometry. None of these courses is called Doctoring. The word Doctor came to be associated with the art of healing in the medieval period and were initially called Physician and still called so till date. With the advent of Doctor of Philosophy which is the highest level associated with teaching, it later became ascribed to those saddled with the art of healing.
The question now bothers to who is a healer in the health profession and who is a paramedic; a degrading word that has been used many times by Nigerian Physicians to spite other medical workers, who retaliates by calling them Allopathic officers.
In line with international best practices, only the World Health Organisation (WHO) not World Medical Association and International Labor Organisation (ILO) can define the meaning of every profession. In listing structures for each worker, all professionals were listed as ‘Health Professionals’ and not ‘Medical Professionals’. They were divided into two health groups for easy recognition. The first group listed are: Medical Doctors (Generalist Medical Practitioners and Specialist Medical Practitioners), Nursing and Midwifery Professionals, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Professionals, ***Paramedical Practitioners and Veterinarians.
The second group listed Dentists, Pharmacists, Environmental and Occupational Health and Hygiene Professionals, Physiotherapists, Dieticians and Nutritionists, Audiologists and Speech Therapists, Optometrists and Ophthalmic Opticians and Health Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified.
Note that Dentists which is a member of NMA is in the second category and Paramedics in the first category, according to International best practices that we like to flout.
Let us take a look at WHO definition of these core workers in the health sector.
According to WHO, ‘a Generalist medical doctors (including family and primary care doctors) diagnose, TREAT and prevent illness, disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments and maintain general health in humans through application of the principles and procedures of modern medicine. They plan, supervise and evaluate the implementation of care and treatment plans by other health care providers. They do not limit their practice to certain disease categories or methods of treatment, and may assume responsibility for the provision of continuing and comprehensive medical care to individuals, families and communities’.
Same WHO notes that ‘Nursing professionals provide TREATMENT, support and care services for people who are in need of nursing care due to the effects of ageing, injury, illness or other physical or mental impairment, or potential risks to health, according to the practice and standards of modern nursing. They assume responsibility for the planning and management of the care of patients, including the supervision of other health care workers, working autonomously or in teams with medical doctors and others in the practical application of preventive and curative measures in clinical and community settings’.
Going down to traditional level, WHO was direct when it stated that ‘Traditional and complementary medicine professionals examine patients and prevent and TREAT illness, disease, injury and other physical, mental and psychosocial ailments by applying knowledge, skills and practices acquired through extensive study of the theories and experiences originating in specific cultures. They research, develop and implement treatment plans using applications such as acupuncture, ayurvedic, homoeopathic and herbal medicine’.
For Dentists, the world body noted that ‘Dentists (including dental surgeons and related) diagnose, TREAT and prevent diseases, injuries and abnormalities of the teeth, mouth, jaws and associated tissues by applying the principles and procedures of modern dentistry. They use a broad range of specialized diagnostic, surgical and other techniques to promote and restore oral health’.
According to its supreme definition, ‘Pharmacists store, preserve, compound and dispense medicinal products. They counsel on the proper use and adverse effects of drugs and medicines following prescriptions issued by medical doctors and other health professionals. They contribute to researching, testing, preparing, prescribing and monitoring medicinal therapies for optimizing human health’.
For Physiotherapists, WHO didn’t mince word saying that ‘Physiotherapists assess, plan and implement rehabilitative programs that improve or restore human motor functions, maximize movement ability, relieve pain syndromes, and treat or prevent physical challenges associated with injuries, diseases and other impairments. They apply a broad range of physical therapies and techniques such as movement, ultrasound, heating, laser and other techniques. They may develop and implement programmes for screening and prevention of common physical ailments and disorders. ILO in classifying their job stated that “Physiotherapists and related associate professionals TREAT disorders of bones, muscles and parts of the circulatory or the nervous system by manipulative methods, and ultrasound, heating, laser or similar techniques, or apply physiotherapy and related therapies as part of the treatment for the physically disabled, mentally ill or unbalanced.
For Optometrists, the world body says Optometrists and ophthalmic opticians provide diagnosis, management and TREATMENT services for disorders of the eyes and visual system. They counsel and advise on eye care and safety, and prescribe optical aids or other therapies for visual disturbance.
While this may sound as a thesis, I will leave out what the sacred definition of WHO and ILO gave to the two eyes of medicine, notably Radiography and Medical Laboratory. The reader can Google it up.
By these definitions, five professions TREAT sicknesses and disorders and one provides the drugs or body gel they prescribe, while two gives a clearer picture of the diagnosis through tests and imaging.
They are General Practitioner called Medical Doctor, Traditional or complimentary medicine practitioners/
Homeopathy, Dentists, Nurses, Optometrists and Physiotherapists. Nursing being a unique and distinct profession cannot be called Doctors, but the rest whose primary duties is to diagnose treat and certify fit can be called Doctor if their regulatory body so wish.
On consultancy status, it is criminal for a profession to demand for such almighty position simply because of the years spent in service and not by merit. It’s akin to saying a lecturer can rise to the level of Professorship without studying to get PhD. This is where I disagree with JOHESU. Medical Doctors who are consultants didn’t jump the rope. They went through the rigors of residency training, became fellows and merited it.
Medical practice is not law that is determined by the years of practice which leads to the award of SAN. It is study, quest to break medical grounds and solve the everyday health challenges that the world faces. No amount of experience can totally give clinicians that except devotion to knowledge, which is gained through the appropriate postgraduate school or colleges.
It is however unjust for the current disparity in salaries of the two warring groups. Whoever separated the salary structure into CONMESS and CONHESS is the common enemy that we should be fighting today.
It’s absurd and ridiculous that a House Officer will earn higher than a working class Nurse or any other core medical practitioners, when the difference in study is one year. Only a specialist GP should be allowed to earn more than any other clinician, who refuses to also specialize in his/her own field.
The FG should as a matter of urgency make all health workers one salary structure, and their wages determined by level of qualification and specialty as operated globally. The Ministry of Health should be headed by hospitals administrators and not physicians, just as the hospitals should not also be headed by a Dentist or Nurse.
For heaven sake, it’s a profit making venture and not a professional body that the Medical Doctors heading it have turned it to. Only the Chief Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) head should be a Physician while the Deputy CMAC should be from other clinical department like Medical Laboratory or Pharmacy.
International best practices that we scream always have proven that the top countries in medical field do not have any health worker as their Minister or Head of health sector. Oh, what about the almighty WHO that defines health, the head is not also a medical doctor, but a biologist. If WHO was a Nigerian union, it’s crystal clear that there would have been strike if a Nurse is appointed the head. What then are we saying?
As for JOHESU, calling off the strike now will forever bring your union to doom. Let the government stop salaries till next year, but do not give in to threats and blackmail. Your requests apart from ‘consultancy by years of service’ are just, and Nigerians are solidly behind you, even though we are the ones that ultimately feel the pain. There’s unity in strength and this is the time to be united. The battle is not against NMA but the Federal Government who reserves the right to implement your demands.
Every profession is independent of each other and this right to decency of work cannot be taken from you, not now, tomorrow or in the future.
To be continued…
These little things matter…
Fejiro Oliver, an Investigative Journalist, Media Consultant and Human Rights Activist is also the Co-Convener of Coalition of Human Rights Defender (CHORD) and can be reached on +2348022050733 (SMS ONLY) or secretsreporters@gmail.com. Engage him on twitter on @fejirooliver86.

phemy2kme:
THE HIPPOCRATIC LOATHE – Flicking the switch

“Declare the past, diagnose the present, foretell the future.”
― Hippocrates

When you step into a room and flick a switch, you either create light or you create darkness, in this quagmire of unnecessary dark rancor let us flick the switch and create light.
International best practice is defined as” A program, activity or strategy that has worked within one organization and shows promise during its early stages for becoming a best practice with long-term sustainable impact. A promising practice must have some objective basis for claiming effectiveness and must have the potential for replication among other organizations”, meaning we will adopt an already developed and proven process or strategy and make it our way of life, in short copy and paste, or we set a precedence of chaos and hope others will copy it as international best practice exported from us to them with love.
Internationally, every professional working in the health sector apart from Medical Doctors and Nurses are referred to as “ALLIED HEALTH WORKERS” who are support staff to the aforementioned, locally in Nigeria they are referred to as “JOINT HEALTH SECTOR UNIONS” (JOHESU) that comprises the bulk of the work force save the Medical Doctors.
When you or your loved one goes to seek medical attention from qualified and well-trained personnel’s, a machinery is set in motion around you, which comprises these support staff and the medical personnel. The record staff opens a new case note for you or extract one you used in your previous visit, he passes this case note on to the nurse, who checks your vitals and gets you ready in the consulting/examination room for the Medical Doctor.
The Doctor asks you series of questions, your answers direct his train of thought, with a few differential diagnoses at the back of his mind, he examines you, which helps him to remove from or add to the list of diagnoses, to rule in or rule out options from this list, he orders for tests ranging from Imaging, body fluids examinations to tissue examinations.
These tests are carried out in different locations by medical doctors / JOHESU members, E.g A radiographer in radiology department will shoot the x-ray as he was trained to do, he will then pass the film, after developing it to the medical doctor in radiology department, who is a specialist to interpret the “picture” appropriately as he was trained to do, this radiographer and medical doctor only knows of your radiological report. You then proceed to the laboratory as directed by the medical doctor in the consulting room to chemical pathology laboratory, medical microbiology laboratory and haematology laboratory, different specialist medical doctors and laboratory technicians in these laboratories will run your body fluids and blood samples as they were trained to do, the medical doctors will write the reports and send same to the medical doctor in the consulting room, the doctors and the laboratory technicians are only privy to the reports obtained in their respective laboratories.
After all these, you will go back to the medical doctor in the consulting room with the gamut of reports, which will help the medical doctor to confirm the diagnosis he had on his mind or which will point him in another direction, after marrying your clinical presentation to the laboratory reports, he will make his choice of treatment, you will get an appropriate prescription detailing name of medication (drug), dosage of medication, mode of administration, frequency of usage and duration of usage of the drug. This is passed on to the pharmacist who will dispense the drugs, identify each one for you, explain mode of administration of each to you, often at times you will have to go back to the nurse for the administration of some of the medications, or to the medical doctor and some will be self-administered by you in your house, after which the records officer files your case note appropriately for subsequent usage, at the center of your care is the medical doctor in the consulting room holding all the pieces together and seeing the big picture, he is connecting all the units to give you a diagnosis and ultimately treatment, no one has the right or training to play this role save the medical doctor. Spending donkey years at the medical doctors’ elbow or shadowing him does not confer on anyone by default the right to play this role, unless you go into a university to study medicine as a course and swear the Hippocratic oath.
Doctors are responsible for protecting your personal information and data, hence the parlance, patient doctor confidentiality and not patient health worker confidentiality.
National Medical Association was founded in 1900 in the United States of America, while the counterpart Nigeria Medical Association was formed in 1951.
Following WWII, healthcare needs and demands increased, the Allied health workers was formed in 1967in the United States to support the work of medical doctors which will allow him concentrate more on diagnosing and shedding some weights to the support workers.
In 1976 the medical and health workers union of Nigeria was formed, which is a precursor to the hydra headed unequally yoked body, dubbed JOHESU.
It is very easy to become a medical doctor anywhere in the world, just meet the admission criteria, in Nigeria, you have to beat the JAMB/UTME cut off point, which Is usually steep, at this point no one clamors for “score parity”, “equity not equality”, everyone keeps mute and follows their chosen paths willfully or fatefully, after 1 year of general courses with other departments, the workload of medicine thereafter is something light but it is not for the faint hearted, in 2 years you finish 3 degree courses, that have students studying them independently for 5 years, following which you cross over to the clinicals where you earn 2 more degrees in 3 years, all these makes up the super degree MBBS (actually 4 degrees in 1).
After the 6 official years in school, 1-year internship and 1 year mandatory service to the fatherland, a medical doctor chooses his path, either he works as a medical officer or enroll for postgraduate study/service (residency), this takes another 6 years on the average of intense postgraduate studies, at the same time you are offering your service as a medical doctor (you are a graduate with a super degree, remember?) to the center where you are undergoing training, this chimera confuses the uninitiated who will call you, a student doctor (what a display of paucity of adequate cerebral functioning), following passing the prescribed professional examinations you become a specialist, you have invested on the average 14 years of your life in knowledge seeking and proper education as a medical doctor.
Let us create darkness on the call for “pay parity”, “equity not equality”, which is double standard anyway, with the definition of international best practice still fresh on our minds, let us turn our searchlights to the medical “eldorados” of this planet, to save time and space we will look at UK and USA.
USA is officially divided into 9 regions;
NC – north central, GL – great lakes, NW – north west, SC – south central, SE – south east, NE – north east, SW – south west, W – west, MA – mid Atlantic,
we will compare the pay of medical doctors with that of pharmacists, optometrists and nurses (they are the highest paid JOHESU units) in these regions.

NB: Pay is average per year for the top earners across the states in each region.

MEDICAL DOCTORS
NW – $ 301,000 GL - $ 303,000
W – $ 290,000 SE - $ 297,000
SW - $ 292,000 MA - $ 282,000
NC - $ 317,000 NE - $ 296,000
SC - $ 300,000

PHARMACISTS
NW - $ 125,850 GL - $ 115,160
W - $ 136,730 SE - $ 117,690
SW - $ 118,360 MA - $ 122,230
NC - $ 113,720 NE - $ 125,680
SC - $ 126,460

OPTOMETRISTS
NW - $ 126,200 GL - $ 113,880
W - $ 115,260 SE - $ 107,200
SW - $ 93,340 MA - $ 127,940
NC - $ 107,360 NE - $ 140,880
SC - $ 118,950

NURSES
NW- $ 75,350 GL - $ 64,430
W - $ 94,120 SE - $ 61,780
SW - $ 97,040 MA - $ 58,760
NC - $ 56,350 NE - $ 60,700
SC - $ 66,350

These figures are self-explanatory, we don’t need a PhD in mathematics or accounting to see the obvious, let us move over to the United Kingdom (UK), this country is, made up of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We will compare the pay of medical doctors with that of pharmacists, physiotherapists and optometrists in these regions.

NB: Pay is average per year for top and lowest earners (medical doctors) and top earners (JOHESU)

GREAT BRITAIN
Medical doctors
Consultants - £ 82,000
Private practice - £ 103,000
Public - £ 60,000
Residents - £ 40,000

Pharmacists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 50,000
Physiotherapists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 19,000
Optometrists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 44,000

NORTHERN IRELAND
Medical doctors
Junior doctors - £ 34,500
Consultants - £ 84,000

Pharmacists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 33,344
Physiotherapists(experienced)
All sectors - £ 38,077
Optometrists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 48,634

SCOTLAND
Medical doctors
Physicians - £ 67,317
Surgeons - £ 89,325

Pharmacists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 38,653
Physiotherapists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 30,000
Optometrists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 36,521

WALES
Medical doctors
Junior doctors - £ 35,000
Consultants - £ 84,641

Pharmacists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 39,417
Physiotherapists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 38,035
Optometrists (experienced)
All sectors - £ 42,147

Looking at what is being done in the land of the Queen that is attracting so many of well to do Nigerians, politicians and medical doctors, we can see without having a degree in mathematics one of the reasons why we flock that way, for your information, health sector budget in UK for 2018 is £ 124.7 Billion (# 1.7 trillion), another reason we take the leap.
This imbroglio has gone on for too long, we need to put an end to it, there is no where in Gods own world, that the proposed madness is taking place, this situation is taking its toll on all of us, we are Nigerians, we reside in Nigeria, we access healthcare in Nigeria, a group of people should not continue to hold us at ransom and be wasting our lives and the lives of our loved ones because of their own selfish immoral interests.
I am a medical doctor, I chose to be one, I enjoy being one, if I have a second chance at life I will be a medical doctor all over again, I will save as many lives as I can, that is who and what I am, I swore to the Hippocratic oath which you loathe.

DR FEMI OBAFEMI.

Pls read this article below in case you missed it and understand how WHO defined international best practices regarding medical practice in the world. Intl best practice is not defined by ILO, NMA and health ministry.

# fowardedasrecieved . Breaking news.... ABUJA – THE Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, Thursday night relaxed its four weeks old strike in Lagos, Kano and Yobe states to accommodate emergency services. JOHESU The union said that the decision to relax the strike in the three states as a show of appreciation to the state governments for meeting the clamour and terms of settlement demanded by the unions. Speaking to journalists at a press briefing, the National President of JOHESU, Biobelemoye Josiah, also called for the immediate sack of the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole; accusing him of posing as a major barrier to the resolution of the on-going nationwide strike of health workers. His words: “It is paramount we seize this discourse to specially convey deep appreciation to State Governments which have gone ahead to meet the various clamours and terms of settlement in agreements with government. This include Yobe and Lagos State which have now adjusted the CONHESS Scale as demanded. “We specially commend the Lagos State Government for approving the consultancy cadre for pharmacists in its employment. Just like the Niger State Government did with pharmacists since 2012. “The JOHESU also expresses gratitude to the Kano State government for ensuring good welfare package for its healthcare work force in addition to the intervention of His Excellency Governor Ganduje to ameliorate the on-going strike action. “We urge our members in Lagos, Yobe and Kano to tactically relax the strike to accommodate emergency services in those states as a measure of goodwill. “President Buhari should immediately remove Professor Isaac Adewole from office, as his continued stay remains a major barrier to the resolution of the on-going nationwide strike of health workers. This is a major threat to Public Health especially at a time that the dreaded Ebola disease is currently rampaging in some African Countries. “The Federal Government must energise the deadlocked negotiations between the JOHESU and Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment with genuine conciliators who have national interest. “Specifically, a befitting budget to offset the already compromised three options presented by JOHESU to the Federal Government on May 16, 2018 must be made available through interventions facilitated by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. “We demand an immediate implementation of the terms of settlement of the September 30, 2017 agreement.” We’ll boycott further negotiations, if…. On the order by the National Industrial Court directing members of the union to suspend their on-going strike, and resume duties across the nation within 24 hours, Comrade Josiah said: “We have not been served any court notice. But if it happens that the Ministries of Health and Labour in any way sponsored the ex-parte motion that brought about the court order, we will boycott further negotiations. “The two ministries lack the moral right to take JOHESU to court for any reason, having disobeyed no less than eight court orders in favour of the union.”

# fowardedasrecieved . Breaking news.... ABUJA – THE Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, Thursday night relaxed its four weeks old strike in Lagos, Kano and Yobe states to accommodate emergency services. JOHESU The union said that the decision to relax the strike in the three states as a show of appreciation to the state governments for meeting the clamour and terms of settlement demanded by the unions. Speaking to journalists at a press briefing, the National President of JOHESU, Biobelemoye Josiah, also called for the immediate sack of the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole; accusing him of posing as a major barrier to the resolution of the on-going nationwide strike of health workers. His words: “It is paramount we seize this discourse to specially convey deep appreciation to State Governments which have gone ahead to meet the various clamours and terms of settlement in agreements with government. This include Yobe and Lagos State which have now adjusted the CONHESS Scale as demanded. “We specially commend the Lagos State Government for approving the consultancy cadre for pharmacists in its employment. Just like the Niger State Government did with pharmacists since 2012. “The JOHESU also expresses gratitude to the Kano State government for ensuring good welfare package for its healthcare work force in addition to the intervention of His Excellency Governor Ganduje to ameliorate the on-going strike action. “We urge our members in Lagos, Yobe and Kano to tactically relax the strike to accommodate emergency services in those states as a measure of goodwill. “President Buhari should immediately remove Professor Isaac Adewole from office, as his continued stay remains a major barrier to the resolution of the on-going nationwide strike of health workers. This is a major threat to Public Health especially at a time that the dreaded Ebola disease is currently rampaging in some African Countries. “The Federal Government must energise the deadlocked negotiations between the JOHESU and Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment with genuine conciliators who have national interest. “Specifically, a befitting budget to offset the already compromised three options presented by JOHESU to the Federal Government on May 16, 2018 must be made available through interventions facilitated by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. “We demand an immediate implementation of the terms of settlement of the September 30, 2017 agreement.” We’ll boycott further negotiations, if…. On the order by the National Industrial Court directing members of the union to suspend their on-going strike, and resume duties across the nation within 24 hours, Comrade Josiah said: “We have not been served any court notice. But if it happens that the Ministries of Health and Labour in any way sponsored the ex-parte motion that brought about the court order, we will boycott further negotiations. “The two ministries lack the moral right to take JOHESU to court for any reason, having disobeyed no less than eight court orders in favour of the union.”

# fowardedasrecieved . Breaking news.... ABUJA – THE Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, Thursday night relaxed its four weeks old strike in Lagos, Kano and Yobe states to accommodate emergency services. JOHESU The union said that the decision to relax the strike in the three states as a show of appreciation to the state governments for meeting the clamour and terms of settlement demanded by the unions. Speaking to journalists at a press briefing, the National President of JOHESU, Biobelemoye Josiah, also called for the immediate sack of the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole; accusing him of posing as a major barrier to the resolution of the on-going nationwide strike of health workers. His words: “It is paramount we seize this discourse to specially convey deep appreciation to State Governments which have gone ahead to meet the various clamours and terms of settlement in agreements with government. This include Yobe and Lagos State which have now adjusted the CONHESS Scale as demanded. “We specially commend the Lagos State Government for approving the consultancy cadre for pharmacists in its employment. Just like the Niger State Government did with pharmacists since 2012. “The JOHESU also expresses gratitude to the Kano State government for ensuring good welfare package for its healthcare work force in addition to the intervention of His Excellency Governor Ganduje to ameliorate the on-going strike action. “We urge our members in Lagos, Yobe and Kano to tactically relax the strike to accommodate emergency services in those states as a measure of goodwill. “President Buhari should immediately remove Professor Isaac Adewole from office, as his continued stay remains a major barrier to the resolution of the on-going nationwide strike of health workers. This is a major threat to Public Health especially at a time that the dreaded Ebola disease is currently rampaging in some African Countries. “The Federal Government must energise the deadlocked negotiations between the JOHESU and Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment with genuine conciliators who have national interest. “Specifically, a befitting budget to offset the already compromised three options presented by JOHESU to the Federal Government on May 16, 2018 must be made available through interventions facilitated by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. “We demand an immediate implementation of the terms of settlement of the September 30, 2017 agreement.” We’ll boycott further negotiations, if…. On the order by the National Industrial Court directing members of the union to suspend their on-going strike, and resume duties across the nation within 24 hours, Comrade Josiah said: “We have not been served any court notice. But if it happens that the Ministries of Health and Labour in any way sponsored the ex-parte motion that brought about the court order, we will boycott further negotiations. “The two ministries lack the moral right to take JOHESU to court for any reason, having disobeyed no less than eight court orders in favour of the union.”

TempoJames:
Davido remix: Johesu think say dem bad pass us but nobody badder ku

Joshesu if no get money hide ur face...fire burn them.

Johesu strike has already failed in Lagos....
Some workers have start returning
NMA is boss
pathologists are bosses
Radiologists are bosses.
Johesu bhad but doctors bhaddest.....

The same court that passed Judgement in favour of Johesu has now order suspension of strike.
Johesu wake up to the reality of Nigeria!
Population is nonsense.
A single authority speaks louder than noises made by population of recalcitrants.
Doctor is senate president, minister of labour and will always be minister of health. Johesu what is your stronghold? Strike and noise?
It is a pity that the noble pharmacists had to join the mediocres.
Doctors have never interefered with the activities of the pharmaceutical firms afterall we are not licensed and to be frank a doctor , myself included by training is a total novice in drug production(pharmacognosy) so it wouldn't be proper thinking of heading a pharmaceutical firm....But in the Hospital environment doctors are even superior in knowledge of drug use(pharmacology/therapeutics)pathology, radiology, and overalll patient care. Doctor automatically owns the hospital and lab therein by virtue of training.
I know pharmacists in the house will want to argue. A pharmacist will know drugs used for empirical tx but a doctor by his deep knowledge of pathology knows u shouldn't start a px on a drug yet untill u get samples for investigations as it can influence d results.
A doctor with deep knowledge of pathology(morbid,chemical n hematology) not just microbiology knows better use of drugs. A pharmacist/ other health professions may never understand why a doctor refuses to give hematinics or transfuse a child with acute febrile illness that is pale with even s/s of anemia n mild to moderate low Hb conc
Doctors can't be replaced by any other profession.
The earlier each profession recognizes its limitations the better for us all.

pls get your fact straight JOHESU national body in the press briefing yesterday has relaxed the strike in Lagos and Yobe states as appreciation to the state governments for meeting their demands. Your type was the reason while the great Ikemba once said: "Having a dialogue with my country men is like having a dialogue with the deaf; it requires a great deal of repetition, a great deal of shouting and a great deal of gesticulation. In spite of all these efforts, you still run the risk of being misunderstood". So disobeying court injunctions is now a heroic act abi. This questions that you are absolutely arrogant and uncivilized with your sense of judgement doctored, beclouded with petty sentiments and illiteracy. If the great POTUS will obey a high court injunction to drop his famous travel ban, it is a great lesson to be learnt that the hallmark of civilization is law and order and civility. Mr, your comments in this thread shows you are either deaf, daft or purely an illiterate.

worlexy:
The National Industrial Court , Abuja , on Thursday ordered striking members of Joint Health Sector Union to suspend its on - going strike and resume duties across the nation within 24 hours.
Justice Babatunde Adejumo gave the order after listening to the submissions of Mr . Okere Nnamdi in an ex- parte motion filed by a non - governmental organisation.
The NGO , Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International , in the motion prayed the court to order the workers to resume work and go back to negotiation table .
Adejumo , who is also the President of NICN , ordered the ministers of Health , Labour and Employment , among others, to immediately set up a committee to address issues raised by labour .
The judge ordered that the parties should arrive at an acceptable and amicable solutions in the interest of Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the strike action .
The judge also ordered the President and Vice President of JOHESU to attend the negotiations .
He said that the negotiations should take into consideration the provisions of the National Salaries , Income and Wages Act .
Joined as respondents in the suit are the President and Vice President of JOHESU, and National Salaries , Income and Wages Commission .
News Agency of Nigeria recalls that JOHESU commenced strike on April 17 to demand for upward adjustment of CONHESS salary scale , and employment of additional health professionals .
Other demands are implementation of court judgments and upward review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
The matter was adjourned until June 4 for hearing of motion on notice and originating summons .

http://punchng.com/court-orders-johesu-to-end-strike-and-resume-work-within-24-hours/

Arrant nonsense
This is black market court injunction
What of previous court injunctions in favour of JOHESU that FG refused to obey?
It is time Nigerians should protest that Isaac Adewale should be replaced by competent administrator

JOHESU AND NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT VS NMA HEALTH BATTLE: THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER
By Fejiro Oliver
The equal right of all citizens to health, education, work, food, security, culture, science, and wellbeing – that is, the same rights we proclaimed when we began our struggle, in addition to those which emerge from our dreams of justice and equality for all inhabitants of our world – is what I wish for all. Fidel Castro
This is a long write-up for intellectuals who can research and not those who dwell in shallow arguments.
For two years, I purposely stayed away from writing as an individual on issues that bothered about the health sector in Nigeria, to enable me research on the true international best practices and come out with an informed and none bias position. Apart from education and defense, the most important aspect of a country is its health sector. Sadly enough, the sector in Nigeria has been bedeviled by animosity and fierce battle between the two prominent groups, namely; Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
JOHESU consists of all workers in the hospitals apart from Physicians and Dentists who make up NMA. I have decided to skip the word ‘doctor’ for a reason, which will be explained later. Nigeria is currently shut down with death toll rising every twenty four hours since JOHESU embarked on their strike last week. Despite the Federal Government refusal to pay them April salaries, they are bent on not going to work, until their demands are met. The argument from both sides is reasonable, depending on the prism through which one views it.
JOHESU is insisting that the FG honors all the agreement it reached with them, especially as it has to do with allowing their members to reach consultancy level, upward review of the CONHESS salary as agreed with FG, retirement age at 65 and few others. NMA on the other hand believes that the increment in salary for JOHESU will place them at par. They have also fought some JOHESU professionals from attaining consultancy status as well as using the prefix ‘Doctor’ before their name.
First of all, who is a Doctor? The word was never a medical word from origin. It is a Latin word from 1300, which means “Church father,” from Old French doctour, from Medieval Latin doctor “religious teacher, adviser, scholar,” in classical Latin “teacher,” agent noun from docere “to show, teach, cause to know,” originally “make to appear right,” causative of decere “be seemly, fitting,” from PIE root dek- “to take, accept”, as defined by etymonline. When the art of healing came into serious practice, the word ‘Doctor’ was used to replace the word ‘leech’, which they were initially called.
It therefore brings us to the argument on those entitled to use the suffix ‘Dr’ before their names in the health sector. First of all, it’s an acceptable fact that no one went to school to study ‘doctoring’. Unlike Engineers who derived their title from their course of study, this is not entirely so in the health sector.
In the school of health or school of medicine, as it’s called in different universities, the courses are Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Medical Rehabilitation or Physical Medicine, Radiography, Medical Laboratory and Optometry. None of these courses is called Doctoring. The word Doctor came to be associated with the art of healing in the medieval period and were initially called Physician and still called so till date. With the advent of Doctor of Philosophy which is the highest level associated with teaching, it later became ascribed to those saddled with the art of healing.
The question now bothers to who is a healer in the health profession and who is a paramedic; a degrading word that has been used many times by Nigerian Physicians to spite other medical workers, who retaliates by calling them Allopathic officers.
In line with international best practices, only the World Health Organisation (WHO) not World Medical Association and International Labor Organisation (ILO) can define the meaning of every profession. In listing structures for each worker, all professionals were listed as ‘Health Professionals’ and not ‘Medical Professionals’. They were divided into two health groups for easy recognition. The first group listed are: Medical Doctors (Generalist Medical Practitioners and Specialist Medical Practitioners), Nursing and Midwifery Professionals, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Professionals, ***Paramedical Practitioners and Veterinarians.
The second group listed Dentists, Pharmacists, Environmental and Occupational Health and Hygiene Professionals, Physiotherapists, Dieticians and Nutritionists, Audiologists and Speech Therapists, Optometrists and Ophthalmic Opticians and Health Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified.
Note that Dentists which is a member of NMA is in the second category and Paramedics in the first category, according to International best practices that we like to flout.
Let us take a look at WHO definition of these core workers in the health sector.
According to WHO, ‘a Generalist medical doctors (including family and primary care doctors) diagnose, TREAT and prevent illness, disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments and maintain general health in humans through application of the principles and procedures of modern medicine. They plan, supervise and evaluate the implementation of care and treatment plans by other health care providers. They do not limit their practice to certain disease categories or methods of treatment, and may assume responsibility for the provision of continuing and comprehensive medical care to individuals, families and communities’.
Same WHO notes that ‘Nursing professionals provide TREATMENT, support and care services for people who are in need of nursing care due to the effects of ageing, injury, illness or other physical or mental impairment, or potential risks to health, according to the practice and standards of modern nursing. They assume responsibility for the planning and management of the care of patients, including the supervision of other health care workers, working autonomously or in teams with medical doctors and others in the practical application of preventive and curative measures in clinical and community settings’.
Going down to traditional level, WHO was direct when it stated that ‘Traditional and complementary medicine professionals examine patients and prevent and TREAT illness, disease, injury and other physical, mental and psychosocial ailments by applying knowledge, skills and practices acquired through extensive study of the theories and experiences originating in specific cultures. They research, develop and implement treatment plans using applications such as acupuncture, ayurvedic, homoeopathic and herbal medicine’.
For Dentists, the world body noted that ‘Dentists (including dental surgeons and related) diagnose, TREAT and prevent diseases, injuries and abnormalities of the teeth, mouth, jaws and associated tissues by applying the principles and procedures of modern dentistry. They use a broad range of specialized diagnostic, surgical and other techniques to promote and restore oral health’.
According to its supreme definition, ‘Pharmacists store, preserve, compound and dispense medicinal products. They counsel on the proper use and adverse effects of drugs and medicines following prescriptions issued by medical doctors and other health professionals. They contribute to researching, testing, preparing, prescribing and monitoring medicinal therapies for optimizing human health’.
For Physiotherapists, WHO didn’t mince word saying that ‘Physiotherapists assess, plan and implement rehabilitative programs that improve or restore human motor functions, maximize movement ability, relieve pain syndromes, and treat or prevent physical challenges associated with injuries, diseases and other impairments. They apply a broad range of physical therapies and techniques such as movement, ultrasound, heating, laser and other techniques. They may develop and implement programmes for screening and prevention of common physical ailments and disorders. ILO in classifying their job stated that “Physiotherapists and related associate professionals TREAT disorders of bones, muscles and parts of the circulatory or the nervous system by manipulative methods, and ultrasound, heating, laser or similar techniques, or apply physiotherapy and related therapies as part of the treatment for the physically disabled, mentally ill or unbalanced.
For Optometrists, the world body says Optometrists and ophthalmic opticians provide diagnosis, management and TREATMENT services for disorders of the eyes and visual system. They counsel and advise on eye care and safety, and prescribe optical aids or other therapies for visual disturbance.
While this may sound as a thesis, I will leave out what the sacred definition of WHO and ILO gave to the two eyes of medicine, notably Radiography and Medical Laboratory. The reader can Google it up.
By these definitions, five professions TREAT sicknesses and disorders and one provides the drugs or body gel they prescribe, while two gives a clearer picture of the diagnosis through tests and imaging.
They are General Practitioner called Medical Doctor, Traditional or complimentary medicine practitioners/
Homeopathy, Dentists, Nurses, Optometrists and Physiotherapists. Nursing being a unique and distinct profession cannot be called Doctors, but the rest whose primary duties is to diagnose treat and certify fit can be called Doctor if their regulatory body so wish.
On consultancy status, it is criminal for a profession to demand for such almighty position simply because of the years spent in service and not by merit. It’s akin to saying a lecturer can rise to the level of Professorship without studying to get PhD. This is where I disagree with JOHESU. Medical Doctors who are consultants didn’t jump the rope. They went through the rigors of residency training, became fellows and merited it.
Medical practice is not law that is determined by the years of practice which leads to the award of SAN. It is study, quest to break medical grounds and solve the everyday health challenges that the world faces. No amount of experience can totally give clinicians that except devotion to knowledge, which is gained through the appropriate postgraduate school or colleges.
It is however unjust for the current disparity in salaries of the two warring groups. Whoever separated the salary structure into CONMESS and CONHESS is the common enemy that we should be fighting today.
It’s absurd and ridiculous that a House Officer will earn higher than a working class Nurse or any other core medical practitioners, when the difference in study is one year. Only a specialist GP should be allowed to earn more than any other clinician, who refuses to also specialize in his/her own field.
The FG should as a matter of urgency make all health workers one salary structure, and their wages determined by level of qualification and specialty as operated globally. The Ministry of Health should be headed by hospitals administrators and not physicians, just as the hospitals should not also be headed by a Dentist or Nurse.
For heaven sake, it’s a profit making venture and not a professional body that the Medical Doctors heading it have turned it to. Only the Chief Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) head should be a Physician while the Deputy CMAC should be from other clinical department like Medical Laboratory or Pharmacy.
International best practices that we scream always have proven that the top countries in medical field do not have any health worker as their Minister or Head of health sector. Oh, what about the almighty WHO that defines health, the head is not also a medical doctor, but a biologist. If WHO was a Nigerian union, it’s crystal clear that there would have been strike if a Nurse is appointed the head. What then are we saying?
As for JOHESU, calling off the strike now will forever bring your union to doom. Let the government stop salaries till next year, but do not give in to threats and blackmail. Your requests apart from ‘consultancy by years of service’ are just, and Nigerians are solidly behind you, even though we are the ones that ultimately feel the pain. There’s unity in strength and this is the time to be united. The battle is not against NMA but the Federal Government who reserves the right to implement your demands.
Every profession is independent of each other and this right to decency of work cannot be taken from you, not now, tomorrow or in the future.
To be continued…
These little things matter…
Fejiro Oliver, an Investigative Journalist, Media Consultant and Human Rights Activist is also the Co-Convener of Coalition of Human Rights Defender (CHORD) and can be reached on +2348022050733 (SMS ONLY) or secretsreporters@gmail.com. Engage him on twitter on @fejirooliver86.

JOHESU AND NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT VS NMA HEALTH BATTLE: THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER
By Fejiro Oliver
The equal right of all citizens to health, education, work, food, security, culture, science, and wellbeing – that is, the same rights we proclaimed when we began our struggle, in addition to those which emerge from our dreams of justice and equality for all inhabitants of our world – is what I wish for all. Fidel Castro
This is a long write-up for intellectuals who can research and not those who dwell in shallow arguments.
For two years, I purposely stayed away from writing as an individual on issues that bothered about the health sector in Nigeria, to enable me research on the true international best practices and come out with an informed and none bias position. Apart from education and defense, the most important aspect of a country is its health sector. Sadly enough, the sector in Nigeria has been bedeviled by animosity and fierce battle between the two prominent groups, namely; Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
JOHESU consists of all workers in the hospitals apart from Physicians and Dentists who make up NMA. I have decided to skip the word ‘doctor’ for a reason, which will be explained later. Nigeria is currently shut down with death toll rising every twenty four hours since JOHESU embarked on their strike last week. Despite the Federal Government refusal to pay them April salaries, they are bent on not going to work, until their demands are met. The argument from both sides is reasonable, depending on the prism through which one views it.
JOHESU is insisting that the FG honors all the agreement it reached with them, especially as it has to do with allowing their members to reach consultancy level, upward review of the CONHESS salary as agreed with FG, retirement age at 65 and few others. NMA on the other hand believes that the increment in salary for JOHESU will place them at par. They have also fought some JOHESU professionals from attaining consultancy status as well as using the prefix ‘Doctor’ before their name.
First of all, who is a Doctor? The word was never a medical word from origin. It is a Latin word from 1300, which means “Church father,” from Old French doctour, from Medieval Latin doctor “religious teacher, adviser, scholar,” in classical Latin “teacher,” agent noun from docere “to show, teach, cause to know,” originally “make to appear right,” causative of decere “be seemly, fitting,” from PIE root dek- “to take, accept”, as defined by etymonline. When the art of healing came into serious practice, the word ‘Doctor’ was used to replace the word ‘leech’, which they were initially called.
It therefore brings us to the argument on those entitled to use the suffix ‘Dr’ before their names in the health sector. First of all, it’s an acceptable fact that no one went to school to study ‘doctoring’. Unlike Engineers who derived their title from their course of study, this is not entirely so in the health sector.
In the school of health or school of medicine, as it’s called in different universities, the courses are Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Medical Rehabilitation or Physical Medicine, Radiography, Medical Laboratory and Optometry. None of these courses is called Doctoring. The word Doctor came to be associated with the art of healing in the medieval period and were initially called Physician and still called so till date. With the advent of Doctor of Philosophy which is the highest level associated with teaching, it later became ascribed to those saddled with the art of healing.
The question now bothers to who is a healer in the health profession and who is a paramedic; a degrading word that has been used many times by Nigerian Physicians to spite other medical workers, who retaliates by calling them Allopathic officers.
In line with international best practices, only the World Health Organisation (WHO) not World Medical Association and International Labor Organisation (ILO) can define the meaning of every profession. In listing structures for each worker, all professionals were listed as ‘Health Professionals’ and not ‘Medical Professionals’. They were divided into two health groups for easy recognition. The first group listed are: Medical Doctors (Generalist Medical Practitioners and Specialist Medical Practitioners), Nursing and Midwifery Professionals, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Professionals, ***Paramedical Practitioners and Veterinarians.
The second group listed Dentists, Pharmacists, Environmental and Occupational Health and Hygiene Professionals, Physiotherapists, Dieticians and Nutritionists, Audiologists and Speech Therapists, Optometrists and Ophthalmic Opticians and Health Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified.
Note that Dentists which is a member of NMA is in the second category and Paramedics in the first category, according to International best practices that we like to flout.
Let us take a look at WHO definition of these core workers in the health sector.
According to WHO, ‘a Generalist medical doctors (including family and primary care doctors) diagnose, TREAT and prevent illness, disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments and maintain general health in humans through application of the principles and procedures of modern medicine. They plan, supervise and evaluate the implementation of care and treatment plans by other health care providers. They do not limit their practice to certain disease categories or methods of treatment, and may assume responsibility for the provision of continuing and comprehensive medical care to individuals, families and communities’.
Same WHO notes that ‘Nursing professionals provide TREATMENT, support and care services for people who are in need of nursing care due to the effects of ageing, injury, illness or other physical or mental impairment, or potential risks to health, according to the practice and standards of modern nursing. They assume responsibility for the planning and management of the care of patients, including the supervision of other health care workers, working autonomously or in teams with medical doctors and others in the practical application of preventive and curative measures in clinical and community settings’.
Going down to traditional level, WHO was direct when it stated that ‘Traditional and complementary medicine professionals examine patients and prevent and TREAT illness, disease, injury and other physical, mental and psychosocial ailments by applying knowledge, skills and practices acquired through extensive study of the theories and experiences originating in specific cultures. They research, develop and implement treatment plans using applications such as acupuncture, ayurvedic, homoeopathic and herbal medicine’.
For Dentists, the world body noted that ‘Dentists (including dental surgeons and related) diagnose, TREAT and prevent diseases, injuries and abnormalities of the teeth, mouth, jaws and associated tissues by applying the principles and procedures of modern dentistry. They use a broad range of specialized diagnostic, surgical and other techniques to promote and restore oral health’.
According to its supreme definition, ‘Pharmacists store, preserve, compound and dispense medicinal products. They counsel on the proper use and adverse effects of drugs and medicines following prescriptions issued by medical doctors and other health professionals. They contribute to researching, testing, preparing, prescribing and monitoring medicinal therapies for optimizing human health’.
For Physiotherapists, WHO didn’t mince word saying that ‘Physiotherapists assess, plan and implement rehabilitative programs that improve or restore human motor functions, maximize movement ability, relieve pain syndromes, and treat or prevent physical challenges associated with injuries, diseases and other impairments. They apply a broad range of physical therapies and techniques such as movement, ultrasound, heating, laser and other techniques. They may develop and implement programmes for screening and prevention of common physical ailments and disorders. ILO in classifying their job stated that “Physiotherapists and related associate professionals TREAT disorders of bones, muscles and parts of the circulatory or the nervous system by manipulative methods, and ultrasound, heating, laser or similar techniques, or apply physiotherapy and related therapies as part of the treatment for the physically disabled, mentally ill or unbalanced.
For Optometrists, the world body says Optometrists and ophthalmic opticians provide diagnosis, management and TREATMENT services for disorders of the eyes and visual system. They counsel and advise on eye care and safety, and prescribe optical aids or other therapies for visual disturbance.
While this may sound as a thesis, I will leave out what the sacred definition of WHO and ILO gave to the two eyes of medicine, notably Radiography and Medical Laboratory. The reader can Google it up.
By these definitions, five professions TREAT sicknesses and disorders and one provides the drugs or body gel they prescribe, while two gives a clearer picture of the diagnosis through tests and imaging.
They are General Practitioner called Medical Doctor, Traditional or complimentary medicine practitioners/
Homeopathy, Dentists, Nurses, Optometrists and Physiotherapists. Nursing being a unique and distinct profession cannot be called Doctors, but the rest whose primary duties is to diagnose treat and certify fit can be called Doctor if their regulatory body so wish.
On consultancy status, it is criminal for a profession to demand for such almighty position simply because of the years spent in service and not by merit. It’s akin to saying a lecturer can rise to the level of Professorship without studying to get PhD. This is where I disagree with JOHESU. Medical Doctors who are consultants didn’t jump the rope. They went through the rigors of residency training, became fellows and merited it.
Medical practice is not law that is determined by the years of practice which leads to the award of SAN. It is study, quest to break medical grounds and solve the everyday health challenges that the world faces. No amount of experience can totally give clinicians that except devotion to knowledge, which is gained through the appropriate postgraduate school or colleges.
It is however unjust for the current disparity in salaries of the two warring groups. Whoever separated the salary structure into CONMESS and CONHESS is the common enemy that we should be fighting today.
It’s absurd and ridiculous that a House Officer will earn higher than a working class Nurse or any other core medical practitioners, when the difference in study is one year. Only a specialist GP should be allowed to earn more than any other clinician, who refuses to also specialize in his/her own field.
The FG should as a matter of urgency make all health workers one salary structure, and their wages determined by level of qualification and specialty as operated globally. The Ministry of Health should be headed by hospitals administrators and not physicians, just as the hospitals should not also be headed by a Dentist or Nurse.
For heaven sake, it’s a profit making venture and not a professional body that the Medical Doctors heading it have turned it to. Only the Chief Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) head should be a Physician while the Deputy CMAC should be from other clinical department like Medical Laboratory or Pharmacy.
International best practices that we scream always have proven that the top countries in medical field do not have any health worker as their Minister or Head of health sector. Oh, what about the almighty WHO that defines health, the head is not also a medical doctor, but a biologist. If WHO was a Nigerian union, it’s crystal clear that there would have been strike if a Nurse is appointed the head. What then are we saying?
As for JOHESU, calling off the strike now will forever bring your union to doom. Let the government stop salaries till next year, but do not give in to threats and blackmail. Your requests apart from ‘consultancy by years of service’ are just, and Nigerians are solidly behind you, even though we are the ones that ultimately feel the pain. There’s unity in strength and this is the time to be united. The battle is not against NMA but the Federal Government who reserves the right to implement your demands.
Every profession is independent of each other and this right to decency of work cannot be taken from you, not now, tomorrow or in the future.
To be continued…
These little things matter…
Fejiro Oliver, an Investigative Journalist, Media Consultant and Human Rights Activist is also the Co-Convener of Coalition of Human Rights Defender (CHORD) and can be reached on +2348022050733 (SMS ONLY) or secretsreporters@gmail.com. Engage him on twitter on @fejirooliver86.

the unique one:

JOHESU AND NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT VS NMA HEALTH BATTLE: THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER
By Fejiro Oliver
The equal right of all citizens to health, education, work, food, security, culture, science, and wellbeing – that is, the same rights we proclaimed when we began our struggle, in addition to those which emerge from our dreams of justice and equality for all inhabitants of our world – is what I wish for all. Fidel Castro
This is a long write-up for intellectuals who can research and not those who dwell in shallow arguments.
For two years, I purposely stayed away from writing as an individual on issues that bothered about the health sector in Nigeria, to enable me research on the true international best practices and come out with an informed and none bias position. Apart from education and defense, the most important aspect of a country is its health sector. Sadly enough, the sector in Nigeria has been bedeviled by animosity and fierce battle between the two prominent groups, namely; Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
JOHESU consists of all workers in the hospitals apart from Physicians and Dentists who make up NMA. I have decided to skip the word ‘doctor’ for a reason, which will be explained later. Nigeria is currently shut down with death toll rising every twenty four hours since JOHESU embarked on their strike last week. Despite the Federal Government refusal to pay them April salaries, they are bent on not going to work, until their demands are met. The argument from both sides is reasonable, depending on the prism through which one views it.
JOHESU is insisting that the FG honors all the agreement it reached with them, especially as it has to do with allowing their members to reach consultancy level, upward review of the CONHESS salary as agreed with FG, retirement age at 65 and few others. NMA on the other hand believes that the increment in salary for JOHESU will place them at par. They have also fought some JOHESU professionals from attaining consultancy status as well as using the prefix ‘Doctor’ before their name.
First of all, who is a Doctor? The word was never a medical word from origin. It is a Latin word from 1300, which means “Church father,” from Old French doctour, from Medieval Latin doctor “religious teacher, adviser, scholar,” in classical Latin “teacher,” agent noun from docere “to show, teach, cause to know,” originally “make to appear right,” causative of decere “be seemly, fitting,” from PIE root dek- “to take, accept”, as defined by etymonline. When the art of healing came into serious practice, the word ‘Doctor’ was used to replace the word ‘leech’, which they were initially called.
It therefore brings us to the argument on those entitled to use the suffix ‘Dr’ before their names in the health sector. First of all, it’s an acceptable fact that no one went to school to study ‘doctoring’. Unlike Engineers who derived their title from their course of study, this is not entirely so in the health sector.
In the school of health or school of medicine, as it’s called in different universities, the courses are Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Medical Rehabilitation or Physical Medicine, Radiography, Medical Laboratory and Optometry. None of these courses is called Doctoring. The word Doctor came to be associated with the art of healing in the medieval period and were initially called Physician and still called so till date. With the advent of Doctor of Philosophy which is the highest level associated with teaching, it later became ascribed to those saddled with the art of healing.
The question now bothers to who is a healer in the health profession and who is a paramedic; a degrading word that has been used many times by Nigerian Physicians to spite other medical workers, who retaliates by calling them Allopathic officers.
In line with international best practices, only the World Health Organisation (WHO) not World Medical Association and International Labor Organisation (ILO) can define the meaning of every profession. In listing structures for each worker, all professionals were listed as ‘Health Professionals’ and not ‘Medical Professionals’. They were divided into two health groups for easy recognition. The first group listed are: Medical Doctors (Generalist Medical Practitioners and Specialist Medical Practitioners), Nursing and Midwifery Professionals, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Professionals, ***Paramedical Practitioners and Veterinarians.
The second group listed Dentists, Pharmacists, Environmental and Occupational Health and Hygiene Professionals, Physiotherapists, Dieticians and Nutritionists, Audiologists and Speech Therapists, Optometrists and Ophthalmic Opticians and Health Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified.
Note that Dentists which is a member of NMA is in the second category and Paramedics in the first category, according to International best practices that we like to flout.
Let us take a look at WHO definition of these core workers in the health sector.
According to WHO, ‘a Generalist medical doctors (including family and primary care doctors) diagnose, TREAT and prevent illness, disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments and maintain general health in humans through application of the principles and procedures of modern medicine. They plan, supervise and evaluate the implementation of care and treatment plans by other health care providers. They do not limit their practice to certain disease categories or methods of treatment, and may assume responsibility for the provision of continuing and comprehensive medical care to individuals, families and communities’.
Same WHO notes that ‘Nursing professionals provide TREATMENT, support and care services for people who are in need of nursing care due to the effects of ageing, injury, illness or other physical or mental impairment, or potential risks to health, according to the practice and standards of modern nursing. They assume responsibility for the planning and management of the care of patients, including the supervision of other health care workers, working autonomously or in teams with medical doctors and others in the practical application of preventive and curative measures in clinical and community settings’.
Going down to traditional level, WHO was direct when it stated that ‘Traditional and complementary medicine professionals examine patients and prevent and TREAT illness, disease, injury and other physical, mental and psychosocial ailments by applying knowledge, skills and practices acquired through extensive study of the theories and experiences originating in specific cultures. They research, develop and implement treatment plans using applications such as acupuncture, ayurvedic, homoeopathic and herbal medicine’.
For Dentists, the world body noted that ‘Dentists (including dental surgeons and related) diagnose, TREAT and prevent diseases, injuries and abnormalities of the teeth, mouth, jaws and associated tissues by applying the principles and procedures of modern dentistry. They use a broad range of specialized diagnostic, surgical and other techniques to promote and restore oral health’.
According to its supreme definition, ‘Pharmacists store, preserve, compound and dispense medicinal products. They counsel on the proper use and adverse effects of drugs and medicines following prescriptions issued by medical doctors and other health professionals. They contribute to researching, testing, preparing, prescribing and monitoring medicinal therapies for optimizing human health’.
For Physiotherapists, WHO didn’t mince word saying that ‘Physiotherapists assess, plan and implement rehabilitative programs that improve or restore human motor functions, maximize movement ability, relieve pain syndromes, and treat or prevent physical challenges associated with injuries, diseases and other impairments. They apply a broad range of physical therapies and techniques such as movement, ultrasound, heating, laser and other techniques. They may develop and implement programmes for screening and prevention of common physical ailments and disorders. ILO in classifying their job stated that “Physiotherapists and related associate professionals TREAT disorders of bones, muscles and parts of the circulatory or the nervous system by manipulative methods, and ultrasound, heating, laser or similar techniques, or apply physiotherapy and related therapies as part of the treatment for the physically disabled, mentally ill or unbalanced.
For Optometrists, the world body says Optometrists and ophthalmic opticians provide diagnosis, management and TREATMENT services for disorders of the eyes and visual system. They counsel and advise on eye care and safety, and prescribe optical aids or other therapies for visual disturbance.
While this may sound as a thesis, I will leave out what the sacred definition of WHO and ILO gave to the two eyes of medicine, notably Radiography and Medical Laboratory. The reader can Google it up.
By these definitions, five professions TREAT sicknesses and disorders and one provides the drugs or body gel they prescribe, while two gives a clearer picture of the diagnosis through tests and imaging.
They are General Practitioner called Medical Doctor, Traditional or complimentary medicine practitioners/
Homeopathy, Dentists, Nurses, Optometrists and Physiotherapists. Nursing being a unique and distinct profession cannot be called Doctors, but the rest whose primary duties is to diagnose treat and certify fit can be called Doctor if their regulatory body so wish.
On consultancy status, it is criminal for a profession to demand for such almighty position simply because of the years spent in service and not by merit. It’s akin to saying a lecturer can rise to the level of Professorship without studying to get PhD. This is where I disagree with JOHESU. Medical Doctors who are consultants didn’t jump the rope. They went through the rigors of residency training, became fellows and merited it.
Medical practice is not law that is determined by the years of practice which leads to the award of SAN. It is study, quest to break medical grounds and solve the everyday health challenges that the world faces. No amount of experience can totally give clinicians that except devotion to knowledge, which is gained through the appropriate postgraduate school or colleges.
It is however unjust for the current disparity in salaries of the two warring groups. Whoever separated the salary structure into CONMESS and CONHESS is the common enemy that we should be fighting today.
It’s absurd and ridiculous that a House Officer will earn higher than a working class Nurse or any other core medical practitioners, when the difference in study is one year. Only a specialist GP should be allowed to earn more than any other clinician, who refuses to also specialize in his/her own field.
The FG should as a matter of urgency make all health workers one salary structure, and their wages determined by level of qualification and specialty as operated globally. The Ministry of Health should be headed by hospitals administrators and not physicians, just as the hospitals should not also be headed by a Dentist or Nurse.
For heaven sake, it’s a profit making venture and not a professional body that the Medical Doctors heading it have turned it to. Only the Chief Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) head should be a Physician while the Deputy CMAC should be from other clinical department like Medical Laboratory or Pharmacy.
International best practices that we scream always have proven that the top countries in medical field do not have any health worker as their Minister or Head of health sector. Oh, what about the almighty WHO that defines health, the head is not also a medical doctor, but a biologist. If WHO was a Nigerian union, it’s crystal clear that there would have been strike if a Nurse is appointed the head. What then are we saying?
As for JOHESU, calling off the strike now will forever bring your union to doom. Let the government stop salaries till next year, but do not give in to threats and blackmail. Your requests apart from ‘consultancy by years of service’ are just, and Nigerians are solidly behind you, even though we are the ones that ultimately feel the pain. There’s unity in strength and this is the time to be united. The battle is not against NMA but the Federal Government who reserves the right to implement your demands.
Every profession is independent of each other and this right to decency of work cannot be taken from you, not now, tomorrow or in the future.
To be continued…
These little things matter…
Fejiro Oliver, an Investigative Journalist, Media Consultant and Human Rights Activist is also the Co-Convener of Coalition of Human Rights Defender (CHORD) and can be reached on +2348022050733 (SMS ONLY) or secretsreporters@gmail.com. Engage him on twitter on @fejirooliver86.

theuniqueone:
I don't want to glorify your uncouth rantings. I will only wait for you to join us in the trauma emergency unit after your rantings online. An Educated fool who feels that he could massage his over bloated inferiority complex by calling his Superior an illiterate hiding under so called international best practices. Fool come and commence physiotherapy on a poly traumatised patient, unconscious with femoral fracture. A physiotherapist advising a doctor on wound care when plastic surgeons have not gone extinct. Johesu version of health care is the 8th Wonder of the world

Anyway, Mr silence is the best answer to a fool. You are mentally Ill, Just go for a psych exam maybe your delusion will be managed. Pause, Take time and read my comment below about the international best practices as directed by WHO. Try and understand if you can. Otherwise, you are a liability to those who you send to school

theuniqueone:
I don't want to glorify your uncouth rantings. I will only wait for you to join us in the trauma emergency unit after your rantings online. An Educated fool who feels that he could massage his over bloated inferiority complex by calling his Superior an illiterate hiding under so called international best practices. Fool come and commence physiotherapy on a poly traumatised patient, unconscious with femoral fracture. A physiotherapist advising a doctor on wound care when plastic surgeons have not gone extinct. Johesu version of health care is the 8th Wonder of the world

Anyway, Mr silence is the best answer to a fool. You are mentally Ill, Just go for a psych exam maybe your delusion will be managed.

This was when things have not fallen apart
Women were arrested for wearing clothes that revealed too much of their legs in Chicago, USA 1922. History ville

As election year draws nearer, Borno state government in a bid to gain electorates support, has "empowered " 5000 youths with shoe shining business kits (So-bata). The government is also supplying Free fruits for Ramadan fasting across the state.
What a country

Jman06:
I can understand your bias doc. Your medical practice is what is putting food on your table right now, I don't expect objectivity from you on the matter. The plight of physiotherapists will be none of your concern right now.

If I may ask you doc, is medicine studied and practised only here in Nigeria How do medical doctors in the developed world manage to suppress their ego and relate well with other professionals in healthcare despite spending so many years in the university as well Those Canadian doctors that recently protested in favour of increased pay of other healthcare professionals, do they obtain their own medical qualifications from mars??

How do you justify starting a fresh graduate of MBBS in the civil service on grade level 12 while his counterparts who are pharmacists, physiotherapists or optometrists on level 9?? Take time and calculate the difference in terms of salary.

See, you people should stop all these your arguments of writing tough exams and studying hard. We all study hard and write tough exams too! Perhaps you don't know what students of pharmacy go through! They take both practicals and theory courses from the six departments that make up pharmacy, they write tough practical and theory exams every semester for 6 solid years! In some exams, you are required to synthesize a drug, formulate it and package it into a product within a few hours! They also juggle Between clinical rotations and their nonclinical classes. Many fail and get withdrawn along the line.

Talking about respect, nobody gets respected for merely studying a particular course. You are respected based on how you are able to utilize your knowledge to impact your society positively.
Besides, respect is reciprocal. You don't expect other healthcare professionals to respect you when you don't respect them.

If the Nigerian medical doctors want to be respected by other healthcare professionals, they should learn to respect others and their professions. They shouldn't try to open pharmacies and not employ a superintendent pharmacist until PCN comes to close down such pharmacies, they should employ qualified nurses and not train quacks as 'auxiliary nurses', they should respect the medical lab scientists by not employing lab technologists in place of medical lab scientists. The list is endless!
They not only disrespect the professionals by employing quacks, they also endanger patient's lives. Many have died as a result of this malpractice by Nigerian doctors.

Right from pharmacy school, pharmacists are trained on how to respect other healthcare professionals when working in a team. They take special courses in clinical pharmacy that prepares them to work in a team. Unfortunately, our medical doctor friends obviously do not receive such trainings, hence their mindless disrespect of healthcare professionals.

So, if the Nigerian medical doctors are ready for peace to reign in the healthcare sector, they should learn to accord respect to other healthcare professionals. Simple!

Bros, you have made a valid point but I am afraid that you run the risk of being misunderstood by e-charlatans whose judgement are beclouded with petty sentiments, egotism and arrogance. The era where all other professions in Nigeria are relegated to the background must stop. let there be harmony and respect among the team.

theuniqueone:
P
Please are you okay. Don't let your desire to act like a doctor land you in a serious mess. Have you ever in your life handle a mass casualties emergency. Saving lives is the goal of trauma mgt and not wound care.

You should answer that question if your head is correct. I doubt if you are okay too because you just display sheer ignorance. Who and who are members of trauma mgt team? The team includes but not limited to nurses, orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapist, etc. infact, I recommended a total overhauling of our dead educational system which has thrown up illiterates and pseudo-intellectuals in all walks of national life who reel out mumbo nonsense in arguing against truth. Our health and educational sector are among the worst in the globe. Bros, if you dont have reasonable thing to say. keep quiet and stop embarrassing yourself.

CarrilT:
I get really embarrassed by the amount of venom and bad blood existing between doctors and non doctors in Nigeria. Sincerely it is difficult for peace to reign when each group sees things only from their own perspective. What we need is mutual respect. All the professionals are important and indispensable in the provision of qualitative health care to our patients. For those of us who have had the unique privilege of training as a non doctor and also as a doctor it is easier to understand the sentiments from both sides. Now let me give a brief overview of my personal experience. I trained as a physiotherapist many years ago at OAU, this was purely out of choice and my first and second choices then was physiotherapy. Something happen to me during my NYSC year in Portharcourt that made me finally decided to go back to study medicine which I've actually been contemplating right from 300L in Ife. On a that faithful Friday night a young man was attacked and matcheted by hoodlums. The man was rushed to our hostel by some good Samaritan when they heard that there are some doctors there. As fate would have it, this guys knocked on my door violently and by the time I saw the injured man, I was simply overwhelmed. I did a little but of course I wasn't trainned as a physiotherapist to handle such case. I quickly dashed to me friend Dr. Chidi room who is also a corper. The calmness, expertise and confidence with which he handled the injured man made an indelible impression on me and from that day I vowed to study medicine. By the grace of God today I'm a consultant neurologist. Right from the undergraduate days and also during my period working as a physiotherapist, we had so much disdain and hatred for doctors. We see them as pompous, arrogant but in the real sense that is not always the case. Now that I've gone through the medical school and postgraduate training as a doctor I know what it means to be a doctor. For all my JOHESU brethren, you can't understand that feeling unless you experience it. A couple of my physiotherapy colleagues, nurses and pharmacist have gone back to medical school to study medicine. For those who want balanced perspective I appeal to you to interact with such people. In many countries one cannot even go and study medicine directly you must have a degree in science and health related courses. I was the best student in physiotherapy in my set at OAU in 1997, I didn't have to strain myself too much because the courses were semester courses and with minimal effort I scored A in most of my courses. Medical school is very different, the exam is a whole session that is one year, sometimes the exams even ask what you have done in previous classes. My morbid anatomy note alone was more than all the notes I had in 300L physiotherapy combined. I have experienced both sides and I want to appeal to my JOHESU brothers to give the doctors the respect they deserve. What you call arrogance most times is confidence and being authoritative which are ingredients essential to be a successful doctor. As a doctor, we have to show respect to all other health professionals, each profession is unique in its own right and we are interdependent on each other. Resolving the perennial squabbles between doctors and non doctors in Nigeria requires a fair and holistic assessment of the situation, I think the Yayale Ahmed committee came close to that. We have to adopt international best practice and modify it to suit our peculiarities here. I have made some recommendations earlier and have received knocks especially from the JOHESU group though one of them who is my close friend called and agreed with most of my points. We have to sit down, talk and negotiate the best formulae that can work for us. I will stop for now.
Dr omojowolo olubunmi
Bsc physiotherapy ife
MBBS Lagos
FMCP neurology
Consultant neurologist mainland hospital Lagos.
Copied.

There was an incident of wound injury. You couldn't handle it because of your deficits in your learning and exposure. And thus that was why you went back to varsity. Pls tell that to buffons. Recently, the current Health minister guffed that (physical) rehabilitation is not treatment and Yusuf Buhari was flew abroad for it. I was visibly shocked and wondered why illiteracy is plaguing our universities this era. For the sake of clarity, rehabilitation is part of the job specification of physiotherapist.
look at this article:

The role of physiotherapy in managing patients with wounds.
Review article
McCulloch JM. J Wound Care. 1998.
Show full citation
Abstract
The physiotherapist is a highly respected member of the wound-care team in the USA. While assisting in all aspects of wound care, including debridement and dressing selection and application, the physiotherapist also provides a unique function. The numerous physical agents, such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, hydrotherapy and heat all have benefits to offer the patient in contributing to healing. The background knowledge of biomechanics possessed by members of this discipline likewise enhances the services of the wound-care team. Physiotherapists recommend strategies to relieve or redistribute pressure for those confined to bed or wheelchair or for the ambulatory individual with an insensate foot. It is perceived that physiotherapists who remain uninvolved in wound care are a major untapped resource with great potential for promoting wound healing.
indeed our university curriculum should be reviewed.

Since the current health workers strike in Nigeria, all the stake holders has been citing international best practices. The doctors under NMA and all other health workers under JOHESU has been at log ahead.
Both groups has been dishing out propaganda to the media. The doctors has claimed that they control all other departments and their services are at the doctors' beck and call, but JOHESU insists that the assumption is wrong. Doctors lack training and competence in some of these areas e.g physiotherapy/
medical rehabilitation. They are doctors too, they assess, treat, rehabilitate and discharge with all diagnostic imaging and lab tests privileges. Optometrists too are doctors both by operations and designation, they have spent 6yrs in medical school yet NMA said they are just support staff.
Nonetheless, JOHESU Leadership has come out to accuse the NMA doctors of ignorance, greediness and myopic thinking. Dr. Adewole the current Minister for Health has been proven wrong in regard to international best practices.
There could be bias from the Ministers. Today, both the minister of labour, senior and junior ministers of health are NMA doctors so the JOHESU strike that has paralyzed the health sector is rather a thing of politics for the ministers. You often see them on TV interviews double speaking. There is no gainsaying that NMA has colonized and made their birth right the offices of:
a) minister for health
b) minister of state for health
c) CMDs of all secondary and tertiary hospitals
d) Deputy CMDs
e) CMACs
f) directors of 90% of all parastaltas and health related agencies
g) the list is endless
NMA said the reason for coveting these offices is because other health workers are not "medically qualified" even though they all finished from the same college of medicine; took same or similar causes together or as separate departments.
Let's look at the so called international best practices. Lets look at the ministers of health of following countries:
1. France minister of health
Morisol Touraine.
She is not a degree holder. Studied At Ecole Normale Supereure and specialized in Economics and social issues.
2. Germany minister of health
Jens Spahn.
Studied Political science and Law at University of Hagen.
3. Saudi Arabia minister of health.
Dr. Tawfiq Al Ravish.
Obtain bachelor degree in Financial management and Mathematics, then 2 masters in computer science and information science.
4. Israel minister of health.
Yaakov Litzman.
Studied Torah and his first job was principal of Yaakov Girls school and then join politics.
5. Spain minister of health, social, security and Equality.
Dolors Montserrat.
A Lawyer and politician. She specialized in Real Estate and Environmental Law.
6. India minister of health
Jagat Prakash Nadda.
He a graduate of Law at Himachal Prakash.
7. Canada minister of health
Genette Petitpas Taylor.
She has bachelor degree in Social work.
Non of the above ministers study medicine and they are health ministers of their countries. Yet Isaac Adewole and NMA are saying our ministry of health institutions most be headed by medical doctors, ie. the international best practice.
# copied and edited.

Since the current health workers strike in Nigeria, all the stake holders has been citing international best practices. The doctors under NMA and all other health workers under JOHESU has been at log ahead.
Both groups has been dishing out propaganda to the media. The doctors has claimed that they control all other departments and their services are at the doctors' beck and call, but JOHESU insists that the assumption is wrong. Doctors lack training and competence in some of these areas e.g physiotherapy/
medical rehabilitation. They are doctors too, they assess, treat, rehabilitate and discharge with all diagnostic imaging and lab tests privileges. Optometrists too are doctors both by operations and designation, they have spent 6yrs in medical school yet NMA said they are just support staff.
Nonetheless, JOHESU Leadership has come out to accuse the NMA doctors of ignorance, greediness and myopic thinking. Dr. Adewole the current Minister for Health has been proven wrong in regard to international best practices.
There could be bias from the Ministers. Today, both the minister of labour, senior and junior ministers of health are NMA doctors so the JOHESU strike that has paralyzed the health sector is rather a thing of politics for the ministers. You often see them on TV interviews double speaking. There is no gainsaying that NMA has colonized and made their birth right the offices of:
a) minister for health
b) minister of state for health
c) CMDs of all secondary and tertiary hospitals
d) Deputy CMDs
e) CMACs
f) directors of 90% of all parastaltas and health related agencies
g) the list is endless
NMA said the reason for coveting these offices is because other health workers are not "medically qualified" even though they all finished from the same college of medicine; took same or similar causes together or as separate departments.
Let's look at the so called international best practices. Lets look at the ministers of health of following countries:
1. France minister of health
Morisol Touraine.
She is not a degree holder. Studied At Ecole Normale Supereure and specialized in Economics and social issues.
2. Germany minister of health
Jens Spahn.
Studied Political science and Law at University of Hagen.
3. Saudi Arabia minister of health.
Dr. Tawfiq Al Ravish.
Obtain bachelor degree in Financial management and Mathematics, then 2 masters in computer science and information science.
4. Israel minister of health.
Yaakov Litzman.
Studied Torah and his first job was principal of Yaakov Girls school and then join politics.
5. Spain minister of health, social, security and Equality.
Dolors Montserrat.
A Lawyer and politician. She specialized in Real Estate and Environmental Law.
6. India minister of health
Jagat Prakash Nadda.
He a graduate of Law at Himachal Prakash.
7. Canada minister of health
Genette Petitpas Taylor.
She has bachelor degree in Social work.
Non of the above ministers study medicine and they are health ministers of their countries. Yet Isaac Adewole and NMA are saying our ministry of health institutions most be headed by medical doctors, ie. the international best practice.
# copied and edited.

Since the current health workers strike in Nigeria, all the stake holders has been citing international best practices. The doctors under NMA and all other health workers under JOHESU has been at log ahead.
Both groups has been dishing out propaganda to the media. The doctors has claimed that they control all other departments and their services are at the doctors' beck and call, but JOHESU insists that the assumption is wrong. Doctors lack training and competence in some of these areas e.g physiotherapy/
medical rehabilitation. They are doctors too, they assess, treat, rehabilitate and discharge with all diagnostic imaging and lab tests privileges. Optometrists too are doctors both by operations and designation, they have spent 6yrs in medical school yet NMA said they are just support staff.
Nonetheless, JOHESU Leadership has come out to accuse the NMA doctors of ignorance, greediness and myopic thinking. Dr. Adewole the current Minister for Health has been proven wrong in regard to international best practices.
There could be bias from the Ministers. Today, both the minister of labour, senior and junior ministers of health are NMA doctors so the JOHESU strike that has paralyzed the health sector is rather a thing of politics for the ministers. You often see them on TV interviews double speaking. There is no gainsaying that NMA has colonized and made their birth right the offices of:
a) minister for health
b) minister of state for health
c) CMDs of all secondary and tertiary hospitals
d) Deputy CMDs
e) CMACs
f) directors of 90% of all parastaltas and health related agencies
g) the list is endless
NMA said the reason for coveting these offices is because other health workers are not "medically qualified" even though they all finished from the same college of medicine; took same or similar causes together or as separate departments.
Let's look at the so called international best practices. Lets look at the ministers of health of following countries:
1. France minister of health
Morisol Touraine.
She is not a degree holder. Studied At Ecole Normale Supereure and specialized in Economics and social issues.
2. Germany minister of health
Jens Spahn.
Studied Political science and Law at University of Hagen.
3. Saudi Arabia minister of health.
Dr. Tawfiq Al Ravish.
Obtain bachelor degree in Financial management and Mathematics, then 2 masters in computer science and information science.
4. Israel minister of health.
Yaakov Litzman.
Studied Torah and his first job was principal of Yaakov Girls school and then join politics.
5. Spain minister of health, social, security and Equality.
Dolors Montserrat.
A Lawyer and politician. She specialized in Real Estate and Environmental Law.
6. India minister of health
Jagat Prakash Nadda.
He a graduate of Law at Himachal Prakash.
7. Canada minister of health
Genette Petitpas Taylor.
She has bachelor degree in Social work.
Non of the above ministers study medicine and they are health ministers of their countries. Yet Isaac Adewole and NMA are saying our ministry of health institutions most be headed by medical doctors, ie. the international best practice.
# copied and edited.

Since the current health workers strike in Nigeria, all the stake holders has been citing international best practices. The doctors under NMA and all other health workers under JOHESU has been at log ahead.
Both groups has been dishing out propaganda to the media. The doctors has claimed that they control all other departments and their services are at the doctors' beck and call, but JOHESU insists that the assumption is wrong. Doctors lack training and competence in some of these areas e.g physiotherapy/
medical rehabilitation. They are doctors too, they assess, treat, rehabilitate and discharge with all diagnostic imaging and lab tests privileges. Optometrists too are doctors both by operations and designation, they have spent 6yrs in medical school yet NMA said they are just support staff.
Nonetheless, JOHESU Leadership has come out to accuse the NMA doctors of ignorance, greediness and myopic thinking. Dr. Adewole the current Minister for Health has been proven wrong in regard to international best practices.
There could be bias from the Ministers. Today, both the minister of labour, senior and junior ministers of health are NMA doctors so the JOHESU strike that has paralyzed the health sector is rather a thing of politics for the ministers. You often see them on TV interviews double speaking. There is no gainsaying that NMA has colonized and made their birth right the offices of:
a) minister for health
b) minister of state for health
c) CMDs of all secondary and tertiary hospitals
d) Deputy CMDs
e) CMACs
f) directors of 90% of all parastaltas and health related agencies
g) the list is endless
NMA said the reason for coveting these offices is because other health workers are not "medically qualified" even though they all finished from the same college of medicine; took same or similar causes together or as separate departments.
Let's look at the so called international best practices. Lets look at the ministers of health of following countries:
1. France minister of health
Morisol Touraine.
She is not a degree holder. Studied At Ecole Normale Supereure and specialized in Economics and social issues.
2. Germany minister of health
Jens Spahn.
Studied Political science and Law at University of Hagen.
3. Saudi Arabia minister of health.
Dr. Tawfiq Al Ravish.
Obtain bachelor degree in Financial management and Mathematics, then 2 masters in computer science and information science.
4. Israel minister of health.
Yaakov Litzman.
Studied Torah and his first job was principal of Yaakov Girls school and then join politics.
5. Spain minister of health, social, security and Equality.
Dolors Montserrat.
A Lawyer and politician. She specialized in Real Estate and Environmental Law.
6. India minister of health
Jagat Prakash Nadda.
He a graduate of Law at Himachal Prakash.
7. Canada minister of health
Genette Petitpas Taylor.
She has bachelor degree in Social work.
Non of the above ministers study medicine and they are health ministers of their countries. Yet Isaac Adewole and NMA are saying our ministry of health institutions most be headed by medical doctors, ie. the international best practice.
# copied and edited.

Since the current health workers strike in Nigeria, all the stake holders has been citing international best practices. The doctors under NMA and all other health workers under JOHESU has been at log ahead.
Both groups has been dishing out propaganda to the media. The doctors has claimed that they control all other departments and their services are at the doctors' beck and call, but JOHESU insists that the assumption is wrong. Doctors lack training and competence in some of these areas e.g physiotherapy/
medical rehabilitation. They are doctors too, they assess, treat, rehabilitate and discharge with all diagnostic imaging and lab tests privileges. Optometrists too are doctors both by operations and designation, they have spent 6yrs in medical school yet NMA said they are just support staff.
Nonetheless, JOHESU Leadership has come out to accuse the NMA doctors of ignorance, greediness and myopic thinking. Dr. Adewole the current Minister for Health has been proven wrong in regard to international best practices.
There could be bias from the Ministers. Today, both the minister of labour, senior and junior ministers of health are NMA doctors so the JOHESU strike that has paralyzed the health sector is rather a thing of politics for the ministers. You often see them on TV interviews double speaking. There is no gainsaying that NMA has colonized and made their birth right the offices of:
a) minister for health
b) minister of state for health
c) CMDs of all secondary and tertiary hospitals
d) Deputy CMDs
e) CMACs
f) directors of 90% of all parastaltas and health related agencies
g) the list is endless
NMA said the reason for coveting these offices is because other health workers are not "medically qualified" even though they all finished from the same college of medicine; took same or similar causes together or as separate departments.
Let's look at the so called international best practices. Lets look at the ministers of health of following countries:
1. France minister of health
Morisol Touraine.
She is not a degree holder. Studied At Ecole Normale Supereure and specialized in Economics and social issues.
2. Germany minister of health
Jens Spahn.
Studied Political science and Law at University of Hagen.
3. Saudi Arabia minister of health.
Dr. Tawfiq Al Ravish.
Obtain bachelor degree in Financial management and Mathematics, then 2 masters in computer science and information science.
4. Israel minister of health.
Yaakov Litzman.
Studied Torah and his first job was principal of Yaakov Girls school and then join politics.
5. Spain minister of health, social, security and Equality.
Dolors Montserrat.
A Lawyer and politician. She specialized in Real Estate and Environmental Law.
6. India minister of health
Jagat Prakash Nadda.
He a graduate of Law at Himachal Prakash.
7. Canada minister of health
Genette Petitpas Taylor.
She has bachelor degree in Social work.
Non of the above ministers study medicine and they are health ministers of their countries. Yet Isaac Adewole and NMA are saying our ministry of health institutions most be headed by medical doctors, ie. the international best practice.
# copied and edited.

aribisala0:
You are indeed totally unintelligent.

You have no idea of the background and you think you can just go on the internet and fish out stuff you do not underrstand

First I educated you that the CEO is the boss despiite you foolish claim that he is an accountant and only performs "administration" functions

Next I informed you that NHS England is not a hospital as you foolishly assumed.

NHS England is a Board responsible for over £100 billion pounds in spending across England . As such it is a public body similar to a Health Management Board in some states in Nigeria

The Board has people from diverse backgrounds MOSTLY business and consulting in fact MOST are not from the health industry.

There is a doctor, a nurse and a molecular geneticist on the board

Foolishly you claimed that the Medical Director is similar to a CMD ,

No he is not he is similar to a Director in our Ministry of Health. NHS England performs functions that our own Ministry of Health performs
His Boss is the CEO who is not a clinician

The Secretary for Health (health Minister) has not been a doctor or clinician in more than 20 years. So stop this self deception

No one in the UK subscribes to this idea that doctors should be boss

God bless you for this intelligent post. The comment is self explanatory. Any person that fails to understand it is a liability to his family who spent fortunes to train him/her in school.

funmisticqueen:
i have also seen young doctors teach nurses sone things that is a stupid statement

Did you actually read and understood the submission made by him? some Nigerian Physician claimed to know all things which is arrogant and pomposity to say the least. No man is an island. Healthcare is a team work. Every member of the team contributes his/her skills and experience so that the patient benefit greatly. But reverse is the case when some people thinks they are lords and big boss in quote, this brings rivalry and unhealthy competition among the team; thus the patient suffered at the end.

Obadiah Umaru, a concerned Nigerian wrote:

The last time NMA went on strike, Nigerians from all works of life pressed on government to look into their issues so that our hospitals will continue to offer services to Nigerians
Today, the hospitals are again shut down due to JOHESU strike and unthinkably, NMA have been the most vocal, not in to quell the impasse but to fuel it. They are insisting that government should not listen to, or meet the demands of, JOHESU. Their reason for the meddlesomeness in the many press releases and media engagement is to keep wide the gap of earned allowance between them and other health professionals. This is selfishness and greed.
I ceased to regard any medical doctor since I took my ailing mother to the hospital in the early 2009 and got disgusting and irresponsible treat from a consultant. He attended to my mum then wrote drugs for us to buy. I asked what he was treating, he said he was suspecting septicaemia so we should try so and so antibiotics. I told him it sounds like guess work. He kept quiet. I requested if we could be sure of what were are treating, he picked offence and started shouting. Demanding to know if I wanted to teach him his work. I said I was the customer/
client here and I should be the king. He said the only king in the hospital is the doctor. He was a young man so I thought it was untamed exuberance. While I was on the matter, a nurse came and over heard us, inadvertently, she asked if we has done lab test. The aggression with which the consultant shouted her down was marvelling. I wondered for a minute if it was his private hospital but I knew I was in a public hospital where all were employees of government. I asked why he addressed his colleague in that manner but he told me that the nurses and pharmacists were subservient to him. He told me how much he was earning and how much pharmacists earned, using it to justify his status. I was shocked.
I switched back to the prescription he had written and asked if we could be sent to the lab, he opposed it,saying that the most arrogant people in the hospital were the lab people. I asked how, he said, they have arrogated a title of scientists to themselves and don't want to work under pathologists. I was shocked as what that got to do with my mum's lab test. Within my 10min of being with him, he had skinned the nurses, the pharmacy and the lab alive. Then I knew the doctors were the real problems.
In summary, he insisted on treating without lab test. I was angry and left also without his prescription. I took my mum to a private laboratory and explained my situation. The lab tests showed leukemia and my elder brother in UK had to arrange for mum to undergo treatment abroad
Since then, I have followed keenly the disregard end humiliation that the doctors treat other health workers in Nigeria with the passive support of health ministers and commissioners. They often go the side of NMA during industrial disputes by quickly responding to demands of doctors and speaking English on demands others health workers.
I think the duration of study for doctors is only one year extra to pharmacists, lab scientists etc, yet they earn two times more than the non-doctors upon entering public service. Why is this so? Only doctors are heading hospitals and ministries of health in Nigeria. Why? This is not the case in other countries on Europe and Asia. Even the current DG of WHO is not a medical doctor. Where did the Nigerian medical doctor got his ego from to hold other health professionals in perpetual captivity? I call on JOHESU to break these ancient chains of slavery and emancipate themselves and our health system in Nigeria. The health system under ineptitude of medical doctors keeps recording abysmal indices year in year out to the extent that our President cannot find one health facility to treat ordinary ear infection.
I urge President Buhari to immediately sack the minister of health in view of his recent irresponsible comments on this ongoing strike. It is a pitiable anticlimax in our civilization
Lastly, the curriculum of MBBS should be reviewed to include civic education for would-be medical doctors in Nigeria. Their incivility is the cause of industrial unrest in the health system in Nigeria today

Brain drain is not only limited among physicians in Nigeria. It also affected other professionals in the health sector namely radiographers, physiotherapists, med lab scientists and nurses. For the nation's health sector to be revived, there must be public- private partnership and the health sector managed by competent administrators drawn from all professions and stakeholders in the sector and not necessarily NMA which had been holding sway of leadership of the sector for decades with resultant decay and rot. Many Nigerian health skilled workers are practicing abroad because there's respect, harmony and effective running of the health system of their host countries.

yassinattah:
U know what !
Criosly u only see what is in front of u,
U dont lift ur gaze up to look at the bigger view, to the extent that u keep shifting the goal post due to ur narrow mindedness,
when u've highlighted a point,u derail 4rm making d appropriate logical explanation,
Instead u r just concocting what doesnt make sense to read.

Mtseww

As a Dr criosly replying ur comments is just like trying to remove water from a mirage.

You don't know anything

It's a pity that your reasoning faculty has gone beyond return in coming into reality with facts. Maybe you are just a quota system Dr or whatever. I will not reply you again because it's waste of scarce resources doing so. keeping living in your dream world. You have right to puff your self up in your Immediate environs maybe you might be the only graduate there. So go and deal with illiteracy and unlearn them so you can grasp truth. I pity you.

yassinattah:
Blame it on corruption in the government not Johesu:Drs saga.
U c why i said u Johesu guys are narrow minded is because ur ability to make logical reasoning to butress a valid point is hampered thats y u cant make an assertion that doesnt fit in as to the cause.
And this same Johesu person ll want to head me in a hospital with this his/her narrow minded ideas that i can stand,
That can never happen.
ALLAH YA KIYAYE.
Rada Rada kawai

I wonder how some people who claimed to be learned reason like a dullard. You rightly stated that corruption is the bane of health sector in Nigeria. so corruption is imaginary in this case abi? The health managers of the sector from primary to tertiary level are grossly dominated by NMA from 80s till date. Consequently, the rot in sector started from late 80s. The problem of Nigeria health sector lies squarely in leadership failure and incompetence of the managers. And if we are sincere in the bid to revive the sector, we should demonstrate will and determination and imbibe evidenced based ideas from developed and best health system in the world. The whole health sector should be privatized(govt might support by giving oversight and grants) and leadership open to competent and efficient administrators from any discipline in the health team.

yassinattah:
The problem u r having is that u attach to much sentiments to this emotional battering that ur inferiority complex is weighing down on u,
forgetting the fact that ur profession is nt a way of life but its merely just a handwork.

Its nt too late,u can go back n study medicine instead of trying 2 use shortcot to rip the glory u didnt work for right from the very beginning.

Chai
Who did this to you?
Wake up from your babbling and delusion And brace up to best international practices in healthcare systems. I will not join issue with you for I see you are overwhelmed by challenge posed by JOHESU to the decades of rot NMA had subjected the nation's health sector to. The shambled health sector must be revived and brought to its glorious days of 60s when Saudi royal family and Africa come to Nigeria for medical tourism. Those days, the sector was headed by any capable health worker. For your information, according to WHO global health system rating, Nigeria health was ranked 187 out of 190 countries surveyed. is that not shame of a country? So go and deal with your illiteracy as you are far from facts

greatbygrace:
Physiotherapists are really very vital in stroke management.

The county needs more enlightenment and access to physiotherapy care.

Thank you for the info.

You are very welcome

Dnaz:
Nurses, Maybe. The others don't have any clinical input, so u are lying

Bros, your statement is simply lies and deceptive to say the least.

Healthcare delivery is a team work. Physician is just a member while physiotherapist, pharmacist, lab scientists, radiographer make clinical input for the overall health improvement of the patients. A physiotherapist assess, diagnose, plan a treatment and execute the plan and discharge. so what are you stammering

TempoJames:
JOHESU is already a failure!

Yes, I agree they make up 95% population of health sector but one inteligent head is better than 9 dumb heads. Imagine their chairman was very proud to say "we want to show the FG that we make up 95% of health sector".

JOHESU war will just end up as Biafra agitations and will lead to choas among its members when they come back with unmet demands.

If these demands are obtainable in the top 20 countries with best standards of medical practise I wouldn't be arguing here. Check the CMD and HODs in Hodgkin hospital.

We are short of doctors . Else JOHESU could know that the health care can operate functionally without them. The only people that could survive the revolution are pharmacists as doctors are not licensed to operate a pharmacy. Physiotherapy is a heck in Nigeria. Even Registered nurses indulge in physiotherapy.Doctors can chart TPR,dress wounds, prepare patients for surgery,autoclave instruments and all those stuffs. Recruit as many residents in pathology as possible then medlab sci. could know they are not indispensable. Recruit as many residents in radiology as possible. Only then could JOHESU know that doctors are all round. Doctors don't just want to take their work.


Doctors are just worried about nothing. Increase of salary will even be to doctors' favour. Only then could the relativity makes much sense. Imagine if a medlab sci. earns 200k and a doc earns 300k then FG decides to increase it by 20%. Automatically med lab sci. could earn 240K while a doc earns 360k. you see the relativity shifts from 100k to 120k. So doctors should even support Johesu but on grounds that any increment will be to both parties.

The aspect that is totally unobtainable is the issue of consultancy. It will only amount to heirachical rivalry in superiority of decision to patients' management.

If the public health sector breaks down. Doctors and Pharmacists will survive in the private sector but it will be harsh for other allied field.
A pharmacist will survive in his/her pharceutical shop/company but the bitterness in the sector will result in bizzare laison between docs and other allied fields.
Ofcourse doctors will boom in their private clinics. If they want to use only pathologists in their medical laboratories the medlab sci. will only go jobless. Ofcourse Docs can replace nurses if only they are willing to stoop low and work. Radiologists can fill up the Radiology dept. Physiotherapists may still be needed but can still be replaced afterall physiotherapy is a heck in Nigeria. If docs chose not refer their patients to private laboratory and then make that of private clinics cheap. The health scientist will suffer abjectly in Nigeria.

JOHESU is not an issue. They will come back divided especially when their demands are unmet.


I have never seen a policeman as chief of defence staff. The position automatically belongs to the Army.
I wonder why paramedics chew more than they can bite.

Your head is not correct. Go and sleep so that your brain will reboot and receive common sense because your statement shows you stay in dreamland.