Really,
the recent strike embarked upon by other health professionals in the
enlarged health sector nationwide minus the medical doctors during which
time Nigerians noted the importance of those health professionals was a
welcome development. It has clearly shown the world that no one cadre
in the enlarged health sector can lay claim to being an Island in health
matters.
I commend my professional colleague,
Ayuba Wabba, who is the Chairman of Joint Health Sector Union, and all
his lieutenants for embarking on the strike. They have proved to the
world that not only the medical personnel serve patients in the
hospital.
In Nigeria, all other health
professionals have always been treated with contempt and ignominy by
many of the Ministers of Health appointed so far. Apart from a few of
them (such as Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti), others had recognised and
worked for the progress of the doctors only in the federal/state
ministries of health. While the appointed ‘Ministers of Doctors’ and
their professional colleagues continue to think about themselves only,
they do next to nothing to remember other professionals in the enlarged
health sector. They claim superiority always, and most of them appointed
into health management and administration often advise governments
wrongly on health matters, which is why Nigeria has continued to take
the rear in health and human services indices all along, as these
doctors continue to dictate the tunes in health sector and occupy every
position available!
In the beginning, doctors embraced all
other health professionals working with them. For example, Drs. Isaac
Oluwole and Dalhatu Talfida founded Environmental Health profession in
Nigeria and EHORECON that regulates the profession today in Nigeria
respectively. But today’s doctors hold sway in the health sector,
claiming that they are best for that mainly because of their training,
even in Public Health establishments. It is important to remind all that
while nearly all other health professionals were mere diploma holders
in the past and, therefore, felt inferior before all the doctors who had
graduated in MBBS baseline qualification, it is no longer like that
today!..
Today, the story is totally different
and the earlier the doctors note this, the better for them. As it takes
five credits in English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology for
someone to read Medicine in the university, ditto others who apply to
read Pharmacy, Nursing, Medical Lab, Environmental Health, Human
Nutrition, etc; and as a doctor in any health institution rises to the
peak of his profession (may be, to become a director in his field of
study in his department), so do all other degree-holding health
professionals in the enlarged health sector today! It is because of this
that no degree-holding health professional should feel inferior to any
other health professional who has a degree as himself, whether medical
or otherwise! Let me advise the federal government to stop appointing
only medical doctors as ministers of health.
No comments:
Post a Comment