Cut this from the wall of Essien Attah:
As the clamour by nurses, pharmacists
and lab scientists to be named consultants
in Government hospitals reaches feverish
pitch the Nigerian public is caught up in a
needless war that is born out of recurring
strikes in the health sector as the two
titans clash.
Many ask why are doctors so opposed to
the assumed right of Nurses, Lab
scientists and pharmacists to wear the
label Consultant. Here is the reason why?
These paramedics are deluding
themselves into adducing that years of
service equate to attaining a consultancy.
This is miles from the truth.
A Consultant is a post attained by
appointment upon a medical doctor
completing a specialist training course
and passing the prerequisite exams in a
bid to acquire a fellowship.
This fellowship is the equivalent to a PhD
as ratified by the National Universities
Commission.
While striving to attain this Fellowship the
doctor is listed as a temporary staff of the
institution where he trains and his
appointment is subject to termination
without gratuity or benefits if he fails to
complete his training in a stipulated
period.
Hence not all Doctors can be consultants.
Some are medical officers of great
standing but alas being a medical officer
for 30years doesn't make one a
consultant. Neither does dispensing drugs
as a patent medicine dealer make one a
Pharmacist. Nor taking deliveries in the
village for 40years make a Traditional
birth attendant a Double qualified midwife.
Hence it is a misnomer for a being to
wake up and abrogate Consultant Nurse to
oneself without any certification to back it
up. And to be a consultant one must have
a specialty. So what specialties in Nursing
and Lab science have been created up to
PhD level recognised by NUC? Absolutely
none.
Alas only the Pharmacist deserve the
appellation Consultant. For there are a
gamut of specialties in pharmacy ranging
from pharmaceutics to pharmacognosy
hence they are indeed worthy of
recognition if they further their learning up
to the PhD level.
But alas all this talk of Consultant Nurse,
Consultant Lab Scientist, Consultant Ward
Orderly and Consultant Cleaners is just a
ploy to abrogate undeserved fame to
one's self and to hoodwink the
Government into paying Specialist
allowance to non specialists.
A Specialist differs from others. Others
can do what a specialist does is true. But
a Specialist not only does, he knows why
and how to do what he does and most
importantly he can handle complicated
cases and teach others to do what he
does.
For example any medical officer can do a
Caesarean Section but many can't explain
the pathology behind the events leading
up to the need for the operation.
Recently a Doctor from my unit went to
the lab "Asking for the Hematologist"
A lab person stepped forward usurping the
Doctor specialising in Hematology.
" Yes am the Hematologist" he boldly said
"Good I have a patient who has just had
Abruptio placentae and Disseminated
Intravascular Coagulopathy in need of
urgent review"
"Bros I beg no vex. Na lab scientist I be.
This one pass my power. I beg see the
Real Hematologist sitting there. I beg go
meet am" was the perplexed reply.
Hence sitting in a lab for 20years doing
PCV and Full blood count and testing for
malaria and typhoid can never equate to
being a consultant.
A consultant is an elite breed. The last
resort. He is next to God. For if he fails
then only a miracle from God can save
that person. So one wonders how one can
apply being a Consultant in Bed making to
critical patient care.
Even the Consultant Nurse in wound
dressing cannot divulge the
pathophysiology of wound healing hence
of what point is the adjudge title.
Alas experience is vital in Medicine. I
listen to my nurses for they have seen
more cases than I have thus I weigh their
opinions against my own clinical
judgement. Their input in patient care
should never be overlooked.
But alas every final decision on patient
care rests with the consultant. He makes
the hard choices. Like terminating a
pregnancy in a woman who has searched
for a baby for 10 years because she has
severe pre eclampsia at 5 months and her
kidneys are failing.
These dilemmas are what makes a
consultant. A consultant does what is best
for the patient at all times. Each patient
listed under a consultant is legally bound
to receive the best care possible under
the prevailing circumstance. Now with
multiple paramedical consultants running
amock on whom will the patient's care
rest upon?
Hence any paramedic that wishes to
become a consultant should be ready to
pass through the grueling training and
stop dreaming of an overnight
consultancy.
That is folly to say the least.
As the clamour by nurses, pharmacists
and lab scientists to be named consultants
in Government hospitals reaches feverish
pitch the Nigerian public is caught up in a
needless war that is born out of recurring
strikes in the health sector as the two
titans clash.
Many ask why are doctors so opposed to
the assumed right of Nurses, Lab
scientists and pharmacists to wear the
label Consultant. Here is the reason why?
These paramedics are deluding
themselves into adducing that years of
service equate to attaining a consultancy.
This is miles from the truth.
A Consultant is a post attained by
appointment upon a medical doctor
completing a specialist training course
and passing the prerequisite exams in a
bid to acquire a fellowship.
This fellowship is the equivalent to a PhD
as ratified by the National Universities
Commission.
While striving to attain this Fellowship the
doctor is listed as a temporary staff of the
institution where he trains and his
appointment is subject to termination
without gratuity or benefits if he fails to
complete his training in a stipulated
period.
Hence not all Doctors can be consultants.
Some are medical officers of great
standing but alas being a medical officer
for 30years doesn't make one a
consultant. Neither does dispensing drugs
as a patent medicine dealer make one a
Pharmacist. Nor taking deliveries in the
village for 40years make a Traditional
birth attendant a Double qualified midwife.
Hence it is a misnomer for a being to
wake up and abrogate Consultant Nurse to
oneself without any certification to back it
up. And to be a consultant one must have
a specialty. So what specialties in Nursing
and Lab science have been created up to
PhD level recognised by NUC? Absolutely
none.
Alas only the Pharmacist deserve the
appellation Consultant. For there are a
gamut of specialties in pharmacy ranging
from pharmaceutics to pharmacognosy
hence they are indeed worthy of
recognition if they further their learning up
to the PhD level.
But alas all this talk of Consultant Nurse,
Consultant Lab Scientist, Consultant Ward
Orderly and Consultant Cleaners is just a
ploy to abrogate undeserved fame to
one's self and to hoodwink the
Government into paying Specialist
allowance to non specialists.
A Specialist differs from others. Others
can do what a specialist does is true. But
a Specialist not only does, he knows why
and how to do what he does and most
importantly he can handle complicated
cases and teach others to do what he
does.
For example any medical officer can do a
Caesarean Section but many can't explain
the pathology behind the events leading
up to the need for the operation.
Recently a Doctor from my unit went to
the lab "Asking for the Hematologist"
A lab person stepped forward usurping the
Doctor specialising in Hematology.
" Yes am the Hematologist" he boldly said
"Good I have a patient who has just had
Abruptio placentae and Disseminated
Intravascular Coagulopathy in need of
urgent review"
"Bros I beg no vex. Na lab scientist I be.
This one pass my power. I beg see the
Real Hematologist sitting there. I beg go
meet am" was the perplexed reply.
Hence sitting in a lab for 20years doing
PCV and Full blood count and testing for
malaria and typhoid can never equate to
being a consultant.
A consultant is an elite breed. The last
resort. He is next to God. For if he fails
then only a miracle from God can save
that person. So one wonders how one can
apply being a Consultant in Bed making to
critical patient care.
Even the Consultant Nurse in wound
dressing cannot divulge the
pathophysiology of wound healing hence
of what point is the adjudge title.
Alas experience is vital in Medicine. I
listen to my nurses for they have seen
more cases than I have thus I weigh their
opinions against my own clinical
judgement. Their input in patient care
should never be overlooked.
But alas every final decision on patient
care rests with the consultant. He makes
the hard choices. Like terminating a
pregnancy in a woman who has searched
for a baby for 10 years because she has
severe pre eclampsia at 5 months and her
kidneys are failing.
These dilemmas are what makes a
consultant. A consultant does what is best
for the patient at all times. Each patient
listed under a consultant is legally bound
to receive the best care possible under
the prevailing circumstance. Now with
multiple paramedical consultants running
amock on whom will the patient's care
rest upon?
Hence any paramedic that wishes to
become a consultant should be ready to
pass through the grueling training and
stop dreaming of an overnight
consultancy.
That is folly to say the least.
3 comments:
Nice piece
To say that the consultants fellowship is equivalent to PhD by NUC ratification is a fallacy. That program a postgraduate diploma by NUC assessment. That's why the currently reviewed that no consultant becomes a professor who has not obtained a masters and PhD. You can verify this fact.
IThe National Postgraduate Medical College being at the apex of medical education in Nigeria has 15 approved Faculty Boards in an ongoing training, evaluation and certification of medical and dental doctors. The College ensures higher standards for medical and dental doctors mean better care for patients and better teachers for our medical schools. The Fellowship award of the National College is more than a title and more than a PhD degree in any medical specialty. It is a commitment to continuous improvement leading to opportunities for providing world class services.
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