FG begs to NMA to suspend strike on July 14, 2014 at 8:55 pm in news

Abuja – The ministers of health, employment, labour and
productivity in Abuja on Monday appealed to the Nigeria Medical
Association ( NMA) to suspend its ongoing strike.
The ministers made the appeal at a meeting with officials of the
NMA at the instance of the House of Representatives Committee on
Health.
Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Minister of Health, said the ministry
was ever ready to work with the association to end the strike.
He said “I want to join my colleagues to appeal to the president and
members of the medical association to call off the strike.’’
He added that he was at the national delegate meeting of the
association to appeal to the striking doctors to call off the strike.
Mr Emeka Wogu, the Minister of Labour, also appealed to the
striking doctors to suspend the two weeks old strike “for at least
three months to allow government and the association to dialogue
on the matter.
“I appeal to you to give the Federal Government and Nigerians the
opportunity by suspending the strike.
“I urge you to suspend this strike for dialogue to continue.
“I made up my mind before I came here to appeal to you to suspend
the strike.’’
Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Ndudi Elumelu (PDP-Delta),
said the strike was impacting on the health of Nigerians negatively.
He urged the striking doctors to suspend the strike for at least three
months to allow the committee to dialogue with relevant
stakeholders to resolve the matter.
In a remark, Dr Kayode Obembe, the NMA President, said the strike
would continue unless government addressed the issue of relativity
and skipping.
He said “until the issue of relativity is solved, doctors will not return
to work.
“If government wants this strike to end, it should pay the six months
relativity allowance.’’
He said that the association was not interested in embarking on
strike unless the situation warranted it.
“We are not interested in strikes, we always try to stop it before it
begins.
“I want to tell you that we are not strike mongers, we are life
savers.’’
Meanwhile, the committee had invited the head of service, the
secretary to the government of the federation, the minister of
finance, as well as officials of the Salaries and Wages and Budget
Office of the Federation for a meeting on July 16.

Respond to Doctors Demands by admin PM news

Respond To Doctors ’ Demands 

July 15 , 2014 •

By admin PM News 

 On 1 July, the Nigerian Medical Association , NMA , began what it called an indefinite strike to press home some agitations and demands it started fighting for over a period of time , but which it thinks the Federal Government had refused to meet . According to the NMA President, Kayode Obembe , part of the 24 - point demand include reserving the position of Chief Medical Director to only medical doctors , appointment of Surgeon - General of the Federation , passage of National Health Bill and providing security for doctors . 

The NMA also wants increase in duty , hazard and specialist allowances, as well as budget for residency training programme , and reserving the title of consultants to only medical doctors , among others . We feel some of these demands are very simple to resolve if the government at the centre is really sincere . These issues have lingered for long and the Minister of Health , Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, knew there was crisis in waiting . Just like in other sectors that have witnessed government ’ s neglect , why did the government jettison negotiations till the situation degenerated into a full - scale crisis ? 

Professor Chukwu further showed his inability to manage a major crisis when he challenged the medical doctors to a debate days ago. If this is aimed at winning public sentiments to the side of the government over the strike action , then it is a failed attempt since the people no longer even have confidence in their government . Moreso, the same Minister abandoned the burning sector and travelled abroad in the heat of the crisis , as confirmed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Ifeanyi Okowa . 

The citizens know that most health institutions in the country are hardly patronised by those in government . They prefer to travel abroad for routine medical check up because they consider facilities at the nation’ s hospitals ..not good enough whereas it is these same government officials that neglected those facilities. The doctors are also human beings living in the country . Thus , they experience the same pains caused by government ’ s neglect like every other Nigerian . 

Rather than engage in public altercation with the NMA after it failed over the years to either meet the association ’ s demands or convince the doctors on why the government cannot meet such demands , we think the government should focus on serious and sincere negotiations that would get the doctors back to work . We support the NMA demands . The government should respond to these demands!

I DO GIVE A DAMN.....Dr Muhammad Usman Suleiman

That I have left my patients in less competent situations and that private hospitals now are the final abode for my patients... that I do give a damn....

That patients are dying unattended to and that my conscience reminds me of this fact every second of everyday... that .. I do give a damn...

That DOCTORS are being compared to boko haram, that the health minister is lying and mis-informing the entire country on the impass between NARD/NMA, that the media machinery of the country is being used to demonise the DOCTOR, that joe-hates-you and its sympathisers are at the war frint fighting with illogical and immoral weapons of mass destruction against the DOCTOR.... THAT I DON'T GIVE A DAMN....

That I have spent 12 days and counting at home on strike, that I have done my bit to ensure that we are on strike, that I have resisted all constituted authority from intimidating DOCTORS to come back to work, that no one (including our patients) cares for the welfare, role or survival of the DOCTORS in the health team..... THAT I DONT GIVE A DAMN...

What I do give a damn about is the survival of the medical profession for us today and for the future generations to come. The position and role of the DOCTOR is non negotiable..... So.. I say to all who think me to be lucifer of the health sector to continue lashing on, bite harder at us DOCTORS, release the most nuclear of your WMDs and my answer is I DONT GIVE A DAMN... To the govt, continue to lie to everyone and I hope you are victorious so Nigerians can test and attest to the results of being sick, diagnosed by the lab scientist and treated by the nurses and pharmacist.... wait a minute, I just realise the depth, reach and value of my knowledge as a DOCTOR....... call it ego or arrogance, it doesn't remove the knowledge from my head

That if at the end of the day my value is devalued, and my role is roled out, my responsibility is irresponsibly degraded and my knowledge is considered unknowledgeable either by my patients, paramedics, govt or the whole country...... Know that I DON'T GIVE A DAMN... See you all then in my public private settings......

Israeli doctors strike finally ends after five months as landmark deal inked

Agreement includes

 -49 percent average pay increase for hospital
doctors 

-Extra 1,000 doctors in public hospitals; deal is for nine
years, retroactive to July 2010.

An agreement was finally signed between the Finance Ministry and the Doctors' Labour Federation Thursday afternoon, ending a five-month-long struggle.

The agreement, which is expected to drastically change the face of israeli medicine, is the achievement of negotiations that dragged on for almost a full year, starting in September 2010.

The 36-page-long agreement was signed by representative of the Finance Ministry Ilan Levin, Doctors' Labor Federation chairman Dr. Leonid
Edelman, and representatives of Clalit HMO, Hadassah Hospital and Government Service.The agreement, a compromise between the demands of the doctors and the ministry, was signed after a breakthrough in recent days between the two sides.

 The breakthrough was due to the facilitation of Yitzhak Peterburg.The details of the draft agreement were published Wednesday, and the two sides deliberated intensively overnight to iron out the final
details.

The deal includes a 49 percent average salary increase for
hospital doctors, who will now clock in and out, and the addition of 1,000 doctors at public hospitals. 

The wage hike is not equal across the board; the hikes are much higher for doctors in outlying areas or in specialties that are short of physicians.

The agreement is for nine years, retroactive to July 2010, when the last deal expired. The agreement will increase funding for doctors in the public health system by NIS 2.7 billion.

Doctors working in outlying
areas will earn an average of 20 percent more than their
counterparts in the center of the country.

Differential increases will also be paid to physicians in specialties with doctor shortages,including general surgery, internal medicine, pathology, geriatrics,
child psychology, hematology, emergency medicine, nuclear medicine and pediatric oncology.

An especially high increase - 70 percent - will be given to specialists in fields where the shortages
are acute, including anesthesiology, intensive care, pediatrics and neonatology.

Moreover, medical residents who move to the
periphery or choose to specialize in a field in which doctors are lacking will be given a one-time grant of NIS 300,000. Residents who do both - move to the periphery and specialize in a field with shortages - will receive a grant of NIS 500,000

Doctors Should be respected as the Leader of the Health Sector-JOHESU Queen Lolo

POLITICAL PROFESSIONALISM; A MISPLACEMENT OF PASSION AND ABUSE OF PRECEDENCE
I remember in 2005 when I applied for an admission to study Medicine and was offered Biochemistry. I rejected it and applied again, this time I was given Chemistry, the “Bio” was removed, lolz. I was again offered Physiology/Pharmacology in almighty Unijos (great is the name), I reluctantly accepted it this time but told myself I’ll go back for medicine after graduation. Two years into this five years course, I fell in love with it. The difference is not much as it is a combination of medicine and pharmacy. The same lecturers for medical and pharmaceutical students gave me lectures, including practical. After graduation we were inducted (oat taking), sent on internship – just like medical doctors.
Note: we used same lecturers, lecture halls, same textbooks (Gython and Hall, Tripati, Ganon, Rang and Dale etc.), same laboratories etc. with medical students because we were doing almost same course. The fact is that we are health practitioners; the truth is that we are NOT medical doctors as there is nothing like “almost a medical doctor” you are either a medical doctor or u are not! After graduation, some of my class mates who suffered the same fate as me went back for medicine but I didn’t see any reason anymore to do so. They went back bcos they knew they are not medical doctors despite…….
I did a double honor course n I am happy today that even if I’m offered an admission with a salary to go and study medicine today, I will not go. It’s only “no do wells” that envy other people's profession.
I also remember few years ago when there was this “madness” for everyone to study nursing. Men and women went into the nursing profession because there was a high demand and pay for them in the U.S, Australia, and U.K etc. nobody talked about the doctors cos nurses were “popular demand”. My question is, can any JOHESU show me any of these nurses over there that is or was made CMD? There will always be an order of precedence. This is arrant nonsense, madness! No matter how a recruit thinks he knows how to write statement or handle cases more than a DPO, he can never head a division. JOHESU should stop this fight of jealousy, envy and professional encroachment! It doesn’t make sense to me or to any reasonable and just person.
What i see in the health profession now is what I call; Political Professionalism; office encroachment; Misplacement of Passion and Abuse of Precedence. People should learn to tell each other the truth. JOHESU needs to be told the truth. The leaderships are using your finances to better their lives and tell you they are fighting your course, which course? License you as doctors? That’s only when you can head a hospital. That’s just a misleading fact, the truth is that it’s not late for you to go back to school and become a doctor.
How on earth do people think, with their anus? How can a certified medical doctor take directives/instructions from a nurse, pharmacist, herbalist, mechanic, etc. all in the name of JOHESU? What would you do in that post? This is simply envy and jealousy but out of place cos I remember, in my 200level we were almost 90 in number but in 300level we were a little more than 70. In graduation, less than 50 made it. Many voluntarily withdrew cos to them the work load was too much for just one certificate, others were asked to withdraw cos they seem not to belong there with what they were putting in.
By tomorrow, even babalawos and witch doctor, people u studied physical n health in education will want head hospitals; after all they’re even doctors by profession, lolz. The gap is so much that doctors can do without JOHESU but I bet you, you can’t do medicals without doctors, let’s be frank. Isn’t it obvious that while doctors are on strike people lament and beg doctors to come back, are you not there JOHESU? I think that tells you where you belong. If JOHESU is as good as NMA why will patients cry the absence of doctors from hospitals?
Today people are dying in the hospitals just because one man has refused to stay in his place. I know JOHESU thinks they “know the job better than doctors” that’s a fact. The truth is, no matter how big a butterfly grows, it can never be a bird “let every man stay in the profession wherein he is called and be the best there, to avoid noise making” why won’t nurses make auxiliary or nurses from nursing schools Chief Matrons? After all they are more practical than the B.Sc nurses!
Let’s respect each other’s office. We need each other but the order of precedence must be observed and respected. If u still think what a doctor can do, JOHESU can do better, I tell you, you are only being sentimental not rational.
And if you still want to head a hospital, that won’t be a problem but pls, go back to school. But if you think that’s too much at this stage, pls go and hug a transformer. ‪#‎sosayslolo‬#

The Hippocratic oath is not a pledge to eternal slavery. Dr Dagba Maxwell

Who would serve under any condition? Members of the NMA will not be subjected to insulting or untoward conditions of service on account of a distorted view of the Hippocratic oath. Should they work with an employer who refuses to honour agreements? Function in an environment consumed by hostility and unnecessary rivalry? Allow those who have not taken any oaths to create a neo-environment in Nigeria where there is no disparity in the wages of workers, irrespective of training and qualifications? Attempt to 'save lives' in a milieu where multiple 'consultants' of all sorts effect contradictory lines of management on a single human for the same disease condition? To whose benefit? 

The Hippocratic oath is not a pledge to eternal slavery. And if we swore before God to do anything for our patients, we did not also swear to do anything for our employers. Or to accept disrespect from other health professionals and the allied health professions. Saving lives in Nigeria is not only done in the emergency rooms, theatres, clinics and wards of government institutions. As we speak, Nigerian doctors are still saving lives - just not in that environment of madness. They are at work in some Mission Hospitals and Private Hospitals. Are they treating Germans or Vietnamese there? Surely, they are saving Nigerians like you and me.

So the NMA still stands on her words. No amount of cheap blackmail, 'emotional appeals' on the pages of newspapers, or empty government circulars will reverse this resolve. 

I will now propose a permanent solution. Let us put the strike aside for a moment. Whether before or after the NMA strike, the government needs to invite the NMA and her affiliates along with JOHESU and its constituent unions to a round table. This conference, as I will refer to it, should be broadcast live on all major TV and radio stations in the country. Government should also invite experts from at least two countries in each of the six continents of the world to that conference. These experts should include health ministry officials in those countries, as well as Medical Consultants and Specialists (Consultants or otherwise) in other health professions - Pharmacy, Nursing and Medical Laboratory Science. Also present should be representatives of the media, the senate, the house of representatives, the salaries an wages commission, the Ministry of Health, the presidency and representatives of the state governors. These experts should educate Nigerians on the way health systems are run in those countries. Pertinent questions to be asked at that conference will include the following: Who heads a hospital? What is the role of the Surgeon-General in those Countries, if they have? Is there not a Surgeon-General apart from a Health Minister? Who has the ultimate responsibility for patient care? What are the exact roles of non-doctor consultants in a health sector? Do these other 'consultants' have the right to interfere with the management plan of the doctor? is there a difference in wages between health professionals? what is the magnitude of the difference, if any? It will also help if someone from the Civil Service Commission gives a talk on structure of the federal civil service and promotions (especially to Director cadre).

Many other questions should be proposed by the unions, other stakeholders and Nigerians as a whole. 

When we have answered all these questions and the veil of ignorance has been lifted from the faces of all, the government should then sit down and use its brains to come up with a reasonable health sector policy framework which will capture job descriptions, remuneration, and appointment to offices. Needless to say that this framework should be in line with international practices as exposed during the conference. This can then be subjected to scrutiny by the national assembly and given legal backing. From then on, any further arguments about wages, appointments or job description should refer to the said document. Any deviants should be treated as offenders of the law.

Call this the Dagba solution. But without this approach or something similar, I see the hundredth generation after us still embroiled in continuous fracas over these same issues.

God save us

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.