Strike: "JOHESU Is Selfish, They Don't Know What They Want" - A Nairalander
I was prompted to script this piece when I read yesterday from the comment of certain moniker here called amarabae, that the problem the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) put themselves is being orchestrated by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA /Doctors) .
#(screenshot below) #
Inasmuch as the veracity of such claim by such an anonymous online user remains inconsequential, I still wish to educate the unsuspecting public on certain things of paramount and topical significance.
Before I continue, I thought it worthwhile to introduce myself, so that you take cognizance of my biases, if any. I am NOT a medical doctor, at least for now, thus, suffer not yourself in trying to tag this as "espirit des corps" game.
Now, it is no longer news that JoHESu is on strike for reasons bordering on salary and hospital hierarchy.
The news is here:
... http://www.nairaland.com/4456282/federal-health-workers-under-umbrella/3#66805229
ON SALARY:
I wouldn't comment on that because that is the business of the the govt. But let it be on record that if someone should complain of salary, it is the doctors. Nigerian Doctors cannot talk in the presence of their colleagues practicing abroad. They are the most underpaid persons with relation to the value offered. You can imagine the amount Canadian doctors are paid that made them to protest last time. An average consultant doctor in canada receives about 500,000 (about 180 million naira) dollars yearly. A consultant in nigeria is struggling with 10million naira yearly. Hence the reason 90% of Nigerian doctors are jetting out of the country, with many on the way out also. Even the few that are staying, are doing so, due to some supplementation coming from private practice. Otherwise, with the rate at which other countries are ready to issue visa to doctors, Nigeria may soon run out of doctors.
The truth is everyone needs a salary increase because cost of goods have increased, starting from teachers. However, the issue of salary still remains their business with the govt, but note that if your salary is increased to that of a doctor, the doctors will seek their own increase. It is natural to act that way.
ON HOSPITAL HIERARCHY
I heard they want to be given consultant nurse, consultant physiotherapist, consultant Med Lab Scientist etc.
People need to understand something. The hospital is structured in such a way that every treatment /instruction must be directed from the Consultant Physician or Consultant Surgeon. No patient receives anything in the hospital unless the doctor says so. The reason is not far-fetched. It is in the best interest of the patient, so that he/she is not malhandled. Imagine when we introduce a consultant nurse, a doctor will give his own instructions and the nurse will also like to execute his own consultancy expertise by giving his own instructions, at the end, the patient, is at the receiving end. The practice is that the doctor is and must be the head of the patient management team.
Most nurses are clamoring for consultancy because of the knowledge they acquire by virtue of working in hospital for years. They feel they can now challenge the doctor.
I will give an analogy: In Catholic church, we have the parish priest, we have the catechist. By virtue of working at the alter for about 10years, the catechist can comfortably celebrate the mass. Infact he can even celebrate more than the priest if given opportunity. He can also be more prayerful than the priest. But no matter the condition, the catechist can never celebrate mass or be equated to the priest simply because he can do what the priest can do if given the opportunity. There is formal way of becoming a priest, and it is open to everyone, thus, if the catechist wishes to be celebrating mass, he should simply enroll into the seminary, and boom, he becomes a priest. That is the formality.
Nurse vs Nurse Dichotomy
There are two types of nurses, we have those that attended school of nursing(Registered Nurse. RN). we also have those that are studying nursing in university (B. Sc). The truth is that the BSc holders are paid far higher than the RN holders. Why is it so? In terms of work, I need not tell you that, the RN holders are the ones that do the major suffering in the hospital, and JOHESu will not harmonize their salaries so that all nurses are paid parallel amount. But they want to be paid what doctors (mbbs) are paid. That's hypocrisy.
Medical Laboratory Scientists vs Medical Laboratory Technology
The way Medical lab scientist (Bsc) discriminate against the Med lab technologist (HND) is another case study. You and I know that those polytechnic guys are more practical oriented and cannot be equated with university counterparts. But yet, the Bsc holders still lord it over the HND holders. They claim superiority over them, and yet want equality with doctors. Another hypocrisy.
Med Lab Scientist vs Microbiologist.
I happened to study microbiology in my first degree. As a microbiologist, you cannot have a lab on your own. You must work under a med lab Scientist. Even when the knowledge base is the same among the two disciplines.
Last time on Facebook I saw some graduates of med lab from ABSU hanging stethoscope on their neck, calling themselves diagnostic doctors. Thats so laughable. And that has been the delusion that has been making them think they are equal with doctors. That you can see bacteria in urine in the lab does not make you diagnose a patient of infection. A doctor makes 95% of the diagnosis from history and physical examination, just right in the consultation room. The lab tests are to confirm diagnosis and also check for the other systems that the patient may not be complaining of. Also every med lab Scientist works under a Consultant Chemical pathologist, consultant micro biologist, consultant Histopathologist, or Consultant hematologist as the case may be.
The Way OUT
The truth is that, there should not be the need for all these fracas if everyone remains to his job description and prescription. There is already a job description for doctors, nurses, med lab Scientists etc. If you are not comfortable with the job you do, you can switch and follow the formality laid out for that profession. There shouldn't be need for being a nurse and wanting to do the job of a doctor, or being a doctor and wanting to do the job of a nurse.
A doctor needs a nurse, a nurse needs a doctor, a med lab Scientist needs a doctor and vice versa.
In addition to that, every job has a salary scale, most times the salary does not justify the work they do, but only justifies the time and process it took to get there. The people that take the highest salaries in Nigeria are the people that do nothing. They only go to offices to enjoy the AC and go home at the end of the day. When the month ends, they collect millions. Its unfortunate society has made it that way. Let us have a rethink, and be human. Everyone needs salary increase, starting from teachers to doctors to JOHESU (except our senators ***winks***). The problem is getting it right at the electoral polls.
sscripturas@gmail.com
#(screenshot below) #
Inasmuch as the veracity of such claim by such an anonymous online user remains inconsequential, I still wish to educate the unsuspecting public on certain things of paramount and topical significance.
Before I continue, I thought it worthwhile to introduce myself, so that you take cognizance of my biases, if any. I am NOT a medical doctor, at least for now, thus, suffer not yourself in trying to tag this as "espirit des corps" game.
Now, it is no longer news that JoHESu is on strike for reasons bordering on salary and hospital hierarchy.
The news is here:
... http://www.nairaland.com/4456282/federal-health-workers-under-umbrella/3#66805229
ON SALARY:
I wouldn't comment on that because that is the business of the the govt. But let it be on record that if someone should complain of salary, it is the doctors. Nigerian Doctors cannot talk in the presence of their colleagues practicing abroad. They are the most underpaid persons with relation to the value offered. You can imagine the amount Canadian doctors are paid that made them to protest last time. An average consultant doctor in canada receives about 500,000 (about 180 million naira) dollars yearly. A consultant in nigeria is struggling with 10million naira yearly. Hence the reason 90% of Nigerian doctors are jetting out of the country, with many on the way out also. Even the few that are staying, are doing so, due to some supplementation coming from private practice. Otherwise, with the rate at which other countries are ready to issue visa to doctors, Nigeria may soon run out of doctors.
The truth is everyone needs a salary increase because cost of goods have increased, starting from teachers. However, the issue of salary still remains their business with the govt, but note that if your salary is increased to that of a doctor, the doctors will seek their own increase. It is natural to act that way.
ON HOSPITAL HIERARCHY
I heard they want to be given consultant nurse, consultant physiotherapist, consultant Med Lab Scientist etc.
People need to understand something. The hospital is structured in such a way that every treatment /instruction must be directed from the Consultant Physician or Consultant Surgeon. No patient receives anything in the hospital unless the doctor says so. The reason is not far-fetched. It is in the best interest of the patient, so that he/she is not malhandled. Imagine when we introduce a consultant nurse, a doctor will give his own instructions and the nurse will also like to execute his own consultancy expertise by giving his own instructions, at the end, the patient, is at the receiving end. The practice is that the doctor is and must be the head of the patient management team.
Most nurses are clamoring for consultancy because of the knowledge they acquire by virtue of working in hospital for years. They feel they can now challenge the doctor.
I will give an analogy: In Catholic church, we have the parish priest, we have the catechist. By virtue of working at the alter for about 10years, the catechist can comfortably celebrate the mass. Infact he can even celebrate more than the priest if given opportunity. He can also be more prayerful than the priest. But no matter the condition, the catechist can never celebrate mass or be equated to the priest simply because he can do what the priest can do if given the opportunity. There is formal way of becoming a priest, and it is open to everyone, thus, if the catechist wishes to be celebrating mass, he should simply enroll into the seminary, and boom, he becomes a priest. That is the formality.
Nurse vs Nurse Dichotomy
There are two types of nurses, we have those that attended school of nursing(Registered Nurse. RN). we also have those that are studying nursing in university (B. Sc). The truth is that the BSc holders are paid far higher than the RN holders. Why is it so? In terms of work, I need not tell you that, the RN holders are the ones that do the major suffering in the hospital, and JOHESu will not harmonize their salaries so that all nurses are paid parallel amount. But they want to be paid what doctors (mbbs) are paid. That's hypocrisy.
Medical Laboratory Scientists vs Medical Laboratory Technology
The way Medical lab scientist (Bsc) discriminate against the Med lab technologist (HND) is another case study. You and I know that those polytechnic guys are more practical oriented and cannot be equated with university counterparts. But yet, the Bsc holders still lord it over the HND holders. They claim superiority over them, and yet want equality with doctors. Another hypocrisy.
Med Lab Scientist vs Microbiologist.
I happened to study microbiology in my first degree. As a microbiologist, you cannot have a lab on your own. You must work under a med lab Scientist. Even when the knowledge base is the same among the two disciplines.
Last time on Facebook I saw some graduates of med lab from ABSU hanging stethoscope on their neck, calling themselves diagnostic doctors. Thats so laughable. And that has been the delusion that has been making them think they are equal with doctors. That you can see bacteria in urine in the lab does not make you diagnose a patient of infection. A doctor makes 95% of the diagnosis from history and physical examination, just right in the consultation room. The lab tests are to confirm diagnosis and also check for the other systems that the patient may not be complaining of. Also every med lab Scientist works under a Consultant Chemical pathologist, consultant micro biologist, consultant Histopathologist, or Consultant hematologist as the case may be.
The Way OUT
The truth is that, there should not be the need for all these fracas if everyone remains to his job description and prescription. There is already a job description for doctors, nurses, med lab Scientists etc. If you are not comfortable with the job you do, you can switch and follow the formality laid out for that profession. There shouldn't be need for being a nurse and wanting to do the job of a doctor, or being a doctor and wanting to do the job of a nurse.
A doctor needs a nurse, a nurse needs a doctor, a med lab Scientist needs a doctor and vice versa.
In addition to that, every job has a salary scale, most times the salary does not justify the work they do, but only justifies the time and process it took to get there. The people that take the highest salaries in Nigeria are the people that do nothing. They only go to offices to enjoy the AC and go home at the end of the day. When the month ends, they collect millions. Its unfortunate society has made it that way. Let us have a rethink, and be human. Everyone needs salary increase, starting from teachers to doctors to JOHESU (except our senators ***winks***). The problem is getting it right at the electoral polls.
sscripturas@gmail.com
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