Friday 11 July 2014

Everybody wants to be a a "Consultant" in the health sector - Dr Eleazu Franklin

When an individual is ill, he needs another person trained in making sure he gets well. The physician ( neurologist, gastroenterologist,cardiologist,nephrologist, general practitioner, psychiatrist etc) or the surgeon ( neurosurgeon, orthopaedic surgeon,urologist, obs & gynae, ophthalmologist general surgeon etc) makes sure he's alright. These set of doctors might invite other doctors ie pathologist, radiologist etc if he needs to make diagnosis with samples or images. The doctor might need drugs, this is where the pharmacist comes in, akin to when an engineer wants to use a particular material, say wood or metal, he involves a carpenter or metal constructionist/welder/metallurgist respectively.
The doctor might decide to be more intense with the care,he outlines his plan on how to take care of the sick individual, and invites the angels in white who will nurse the sick one back to health, with all love and care, according to the doctors scientific evidence based practice, this nursing of the sick happens to be the nurses scope of work, job description, and not slavery cos its a choice n they opted for the job. They're also bound to abide by the drs plan cos if anything comes up, the doctor is held responsible (Tho the nurse now has abandoned this traditional role as in their statutory books,curriculum and training, saying its old school).
The doctor may also involve others, like the physiotherapist, optometrist etc. 
They feel the responsibility on the dr is too much, forgetting the doctor is as much as the physical and psychological problems of an individual.
For the pathologist, he involved people "in the hospital" (who now claim to be equal or bigger than him), who do the reagent mixing, microscope viewing, etc while he analyses and makes the diagnosis for the referring physician/surgeon. All these job specifications r spelt out and verifiable.
Mind you, these guys have their own establishments, and as long as getting well/remaining well is in view, the field belongs to the doctor and the hospital is where he works.
Why don't they go and develop their areas and not try this mutiny in the doctors territory. 
I cannot say cos I run the clinic in an engineering firm, I should be made CEO, no matter how experienced or competent I think I am. Let's be frank to ourselves.

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