₦airaland Forum

YourHealthlabs: Stop threatening the guy with 'if we leave'.
There are Nigerian docs in U.S yes..but most were trained there. The chances of any foreign doc passing USMLE and practicing there is just 3%, for American-trained docs it 97%.

He is right to an extent, there are more demand for Nurses,MLS and physios than there is for foreign-trained physicians in US and Canada. Even Americans trained in other countries find it difficult to practice in the U.S.

Go check their immigration/pr policy and see the professions they prirotize. M.B.B.S is NOT an international standard.

Always present facts and guide people right.
Thank you.

dtito: it is something i want u to tink abt

Jregz: See ya too

Airforce1: I see u

Airforce1: Show some love bro
Tiwa is one of our own

maschivok: (19) NMA accuses Medical Laboratory Scientists of harasment.NMA has shown herself that she is a Joker. The world knows that it is the other way round. That it is members of NMA that are harassing Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigerian. The number of Medical laboratory Scientist that NMA members have instigated their sack/termination of appointment/suspension is worrisome. But thanks are to the Most High for the Judiciary who brings hope for the common man, by setting aside most of the sack/termination/suspension. Medical laboratory Scientists are people who do not act on impulse, or with impunity. Why is NMA resorting to self help when issues she has with members of Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigerian are in court? Why is she the judge in her own case? The spirit of Medical Laboratory Scientists can never be broken. We shall always move with great crescendo to protect patients’ interest and the public at large, despite the provocation and lawlessness that is being perpetuated by members of NMA in the Health Sector. The laws of the land shall be our strength, for he who holds the mace of truth and justice can never falter. We cannot be intimidated by her Goliath posturing.
(20) NMA says-‘the endless circles of incomplete salary payment to our members in many hospital in the name of short falls in personal cost must stop’. This is the only legitimate demand out of the 24 demands by NMA because the labourer is worthy of his wages. But NMA cannot call her members out for strike based on this, because she is not a registered Trade Union but a charity. This problem is not peculiar to only Allopathic Medical Doctors but to all personnel working in the Health Sector.
(21) NMA in her number 21 demand states ‘universal application of all establishment circulars on remuneration and condition of service for doctors at all levels of Government must be guaranteed’. NMA is not justified here, because this borders on Constitutional Matter. And the Central Government has some limits to want they can impose on the State, bearing in mind that we are practicing a Federal System of Government, where power is shared among the three tiers of Government, the Federal, State and the Local Government. NMA members should come to terms that they are the employee and not the employer. It is very interesting to note, that NMA who champions the lost battle, insists that the approved Scheme of Service/circulars of other healthcare workers will never be implemented is the one now agitating that even things not given by any Scheme Service/circular must be implemented.
(22) NMA demands that Government must urgently set up a health trust fund that will enhance the upgrading of hospitals.NMA is being sentimental here, the problems of our hospital is not funding but mismanagement and accountability. Even if the Government sets 100 trust funds with billions of naira much will not come out of it, because the hospitals are managed contrary to Government laws and principles. Hospital/health administrators should be the ones to head and manage the hospitals. Our hospitals have been poorly managed under the leadership of Allopathic Physicians. When there is good management and accountability Government set goals/objectives can be actualized.
(23) APPOINTMENT INTO THE OFFICE OF THE CMD/MD.
NMA is always doctoring and adding to organic laws. In her 23rd demand, NMA stated “the position of the Chief Medical Director/Medical Director must continue to be occupied by a medical doctor as contained in the act establishing the tertiary hospitals. This position remains sacrosanct and untouchable.” I can beat my chest and say that the leadership of NMA have never seen nor read the content of University Teaching Hospitals (reconstruction of boards) cap U15, LFN 2004 commonly called decree 10 of 1985.There is no where it stated what NMA quoted above. In fact the term medical doctor was never used in that document or Act. Section 5 of the act provides;
(1) There shall be for each hospital a Chief Medical Director who shall be appointed by the president on such terms and conditions as may be specified in his letter of appointment or as may be determined from time to time by the Federal Government.
(2)The Chief Medical Director shall
(a)Be a person who is medically qualified and registered as such for a period of not less than 12 years, and has had considerable administrative experience in matters of health and holds a post graduate medical qualification obtained not less than 5 years prior to the appointment as chief medical director and
(b)Be charged with the responsibility for the execution of the polices and matters affecting the day to day management of the affairs of the hospital.
In the afore-mentioned Act, there is no place it said that the person must be a Medical Doctor. The International best practice is that, it is not only Medical Doctors that head Hospitals rather, in most places; it is a qualified hospital/health administrator that manages the Hospital. If you do a search on the internet on the criteria to become a truck driver in USA, note that you will see that it says that the person must be medically qualified. So does being medically qualified here mean that one must be a medical doctor to be a truck driver? The capital answer is “no”. It means being medically fit. The term medically qualified as used in the act has been misinterpreted to mean a holder of a certificate registrable by MEDICAL AND DENTAL COUNCIL OF NIGERIA.(MDCN). Currently there is a case instituted in the Federal High Court Awka by Comr. A. A Obi a distinguished Medical Laboratory Scientist and the suit number is FHC/AWK/CS/38/2013.The suit is to interpret the meaning of who is medically qualified as used in section 5 of the act. So why is NMA and her members jumping the gun to go on strike on an issue before the Court is that not subjudice? All along NMA has used acts of impunity to undermine the rule of law. The organic law did not say the person will be a Medical Doctor or be registrable with MDCN even though all adverts for the posts of CMD/MD have come to illegally say so.
It is lucid that from the foregoing, certain questions arise. Can NMA as an Association declare and call for strike, when it is not a Trade Union? Is NMA above the law, that it can undermine the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by trampling on the code of conduct for Public Officers as stated in the constitution? Section 2 subsections 1,2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act, states “A trade union shall not perform any act in furtherance of the purpose for which it has been formed unless it has been registered under this act……………..”
section 2 subsection 2-where a trade union registered under this act ceases to be registered, it shall not there after perform any action in furtherance of this purpose…………….
section 2 subsection 3-if any act which is prohibited by section (1) or (2) of this section, is performed by a trade union, then
(a)The Union and every official thereof; and
(b) Any member thereof who, not being an official thereof, took any active part in the performance of that act, shall be guilty of an offence against this act.
NMA is not a registered Trade Union, so she cannot be doing this, entrenching sabotage and acts of impunity against the State. Above all, endangering the lives of the citizens, she swore on oath to protect. A situation where NMA is going on strike as a result of these frivolous demands is gross misconduct and acts of negligence. Section 3 of 030301( h) of the Public Service Rule terms negligence as a misconduct.030402 (e) terms absence from duty without leave as serious acts of misconduct. Sabotage in 030402(t) is also stated as serious misconduct. Section 33(1) of the Nigerian Constitution 2011 as amended provides every person has a right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life………section 172 of the same Constitution states “A person in the Public Service of the Federation shall observe and conform to the code of conduct of the Federation “.The fifth schedule part 1 code of conduct for Public Officers says:
(1) A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.
(9) A public officer shall not do or direct to be done, in abuse of his office, any contrary act prejudicial to the rights of any other person or contrary to.
It is so glaring that what NMA is asking is prejudicial and tramples on the rights of Nigerian Citizens.
(24) IN her 24 demand NMA forgot that she is an employee of the Government and it is not for her to dictate on how Optometrist or Medical Physicist should be paid. Nigeria is not Govern by the whims and caprices of NMA but by laws and polices made by the Government.
CONCLUSION.
NMA and her members are not justified on going on strike. The only reasonable demand is demand number 20 haba! A student who scored one out of twenty four is not doing well at all. NMA members should know that as workers they have duty of Fidelity, they as Civil Servants are bound to only obey rightful orders from NMA. They also have duty of care and skill to the patient. And above all their loyalty/allegiance is to the Nigerian state. A situation where NMA gives her members unlawful orders undermines the rule of law and as such, such orders cannot hold sway.
NMA has become a fifth columnists working against the state. It is sad that NMA and her members who have benefitted so much from the state are now turning themselves against the Nigerian state to become the killer of the Nigerian People, instead of being the Physician who is to be the healer of the patient and people. Nigerians must rise and say no to this medical imperialism by using the instrumentality of the law to stop NMA from inflicting untold hardship on her citizenry. The Federal Government through the Ministry of Health under Prof Onyebuchi CHukwu must act to maintain law and order, now that NMA has told the world that it is because of some of the things She granted to JOHESU on merit, is the reason NMA is going on strike. She should seek an injunction restraining NMA from going on strike just as he did to JOHESU, pending the determination of the motion on notice to know if NMA has the locus standi to go on strike when she is not a Trade Union. JOHESU should be firm to seek a legal redress to restrain NMA in this acts of lawlessness,if the Government does not act.There must be a total restructuring of the Health Sector. All Nigerians from all works of life must condemn these acts of sabotage against the State by doctors of Allopathic Medicine under the auspices of NMA. The Nigerian Government as a matter of urgency should support the Natural Medicine Development Agency Kofo Abayomi Victoria Island, to reposition our Traditional Medicine to be like what is seen in China, USA, U.K, India, Korea etc. And it should be integrated into the mainstream Healthcare System in Nigeria. Allopathic Monopolistic Medicine should give way to Pluralistic Medicine. Government should create an enabling environment for the practice of the different Medical Systems like, Functional Medicine, Holistic Medicine, Ethnomedicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Homeopathy, Osteopathy etc. All over the world, no country is currently solely dependent on one Medical System. Nigerians must say no to NMA that has become anti people. The Nigerian Government should not allow herself to be blackmailed by NMA. She should first and foremost challenge NMA for acts of impunity against the state. The federal Government should take a leaf from Governor Fashola of Lagos State, for enough is enough. The Government should also take a queue from the former governor of Anambra state, Mr Peter Obi
AJUFO, BENJAMIN CHUKWUNONSO-

barcanista: To hell with those touts in NMA and NARD. Government should implement the No Work-No Pay policy.

Bunch of Glorified First Aid caregivers.





Bunch of cowards