Between The Lagos Government & The Doctors

My younger sister 'Hurricane K' is currently studying medicine at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital. I'm so proud of her. Every time she comes home she's always using us her family members as lab rats; diagnosing this and that. I remember when she learnt to give injections, sister was always threatening us that she would give us injections imagine! Even though she's a twin, she's the baby of the house. In the next three years she'll be a medical doctor and people will start calling me 'Egbon doctor' :-).

My baby doc aka Dr Keni G

A couple of weeks ago, the Lagos State Government sacked Seven Hundred and Eighty Eight medical doctors. Yes 788! To replace the sacked doctors, they went and hired three hundred and seventy three doctors described by a Punch columnist as neophytes.What were the demands of the sacked doctors? "Improved working conditions".

Now Federal Government hospitals have gone on strike as well to protest the sacking of their colleagues. The Nigerian Medical Association chairman says their strike will not end till the sacked doctors are recalled. Even the private hospital doctors are appealing to the government.

In all the hullabaloo, what I'm trying to understand is was there no negotiation between the government and the doctors. Were their demands so preposterous? Why were they sacked just like that?

Some people have argued that the doctors should have never gone on strike in the first place, that as a physician who has taken the Hippocratic oath, you've got a duty to perform and people to look after. I'm just saying, what if they (the doctors) just wanted to be looked after too? And they felt their employers were not doing enough for them.

What about the masses? Will they be catered to health wise? Are there enough doctors to look after/treat them? Will they be used as lab rats by the beginner doctors? The truth is they are the ones who'll suffer from all this. Does the Government really care?

Now what happens to the seven hundred and eighty eight people who are now out of job and most now homeless?  (They got kicked out of their government owned homes as soon as they were sacked).

Just saw in the papers that Governor Fashola will be on 60minutes with Angela showing on AIT today at 4:30pm and he'll be talking about the sacked Lagos State Doctors amongst other things. Will be tuning in to hear what he has to say.

As we Nigerians always say: It is well. Check out the post I wrote about a year ago about My experience at a primary health care clinic. x

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Side Dish

Photo credit: AdelaideNow

The Nigerian Health Care system is one I've seen and heard people worry about. A couple of weeks back, one of my fellow "corps member"; Sandra was hit by a motor cycle aka okada. You should have seen her, it was not a pretty sight. What I still can't believe is that her so-called sympathizers also assisted in stealing her money. As they say, this is Lagos! Shine your Eye!

That day, I decided to play the role of good Samaritan by driving her to the Primary Health care Clinic near our local government office. On getting there, communicating with the security guard was quite a task as he did not understand a word of English or my non-accent Yoruba. I've really got to learn this Yoruba language oh!

At 9am, the reception area is deserted, we had to walk to the "consulting room" which looked more like the admission ward to me. Anyways, the matron seemed quite upset we walked in there and leads us back to the reception area where Sandra was registered and attended to.

At the pharmacy which could have passed for a broom cupboard, as soon as we walk in, the lady tells us to wait outside the room that she's busy. Busy doing what you might ask. . . (dramatic pause). . . EATING! And here was a patient who was in need of medication. We literally had to wait 18 minutes for her to finish. Then in the process of giving the drugs, she says we have to pay five hundred Niara and my reaction is:
1. It's a public hospital
2. NYSC corps members are to use government owned hospitals because its free for them there.
Yes its just =N=500 but i do not like to be cheated. After giving the money, Sandra complains she's still in pain, the pharmacist then turns to me and says "eh will you go outside and buy her paracetamol and phenegan for injection?" Say what?!!! Outside is Sura market! Where am I supposed to find such among the yam and pepper sellers?

On the way out, I asked for a receipt for the =N=500 (you don't know me) so I could get a refund from the NYSC office. You should have seen the uproar the woman and her co-workers went in. Apparently, they don't give receipts. They were quick to collect their drugs and tell us to go to the staff clinic where they might not have any of the drugs but could give us a receipt. In the meantime, the clinic smelt like a BUKA!

After this experience, I no longer blame people who go to private hospitals and don't mind paying an arm and a leg (maybe that's not the right term here). I don't blame people who don't mind paying through their noses or even owe hospitals money all in the name of GOOD HEALTH CARE.

As they say health is wealth. x

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