I wonder what kind of country is it that that does not accord due recognition to hard work, extra input and skill-acquisition. I wonder which kind of country is it that condones and even encourages mediocrity. This is what happens in a system that is led and governed by people who think education is all about getting a piece of paper called certificate, and thus they can as well buy it(since there is no use spending many precious years for the same \'piece of paper\'). In developed countries, there is an incentive for hard work, excellence and added specialization.

 

When you graduate with first class in any field (especially professional carriers), many of the choicest and highest paying agencies (who value good stuff) hustle to employ you, with mouth-watering offers. As a first class graduate, you sit down and choose which company you are going to accept their invitation. Imagine sitting down in your house, on your day of graduation with simultaneous employment offers from Shell, Chevron, and Nestle etc. Wouldn’t that be enough motivation for more hard work? In Nigeria, many first class graduates don\'t have a job. When they attend an interview, the 3rd class & 4th class candidates (who probably clubbed and flexed daily in university) get the jobs because they have a god-father in ASO rock or they have rich sponsors who can pay the exorbitant fee for \'employment form\', or they

know the CEO. Thus most of our Employers choose mediocrity over excellence. Moreover, the people who didnt have enough patience and discipline to study hard in school end up being Politicians and getting highly paid while the best brains languish strolling from one interview room to another and finally settle for something far less dignifying/rewarding(with pea-nuts) to keep body and soul together. 

 

If you ask my opinion, Teachers and Lecturers should be paid higher than POLITICIANS. This cankerworm of glorifying and encouraging mediocrity is also in the health sector and is about to get worse if not nipped in the bud now. Now, look at the scenario. Neurosurgeons and some General surgeons spend an average of 18hours DAILY in the hospital (from ward to ward, to Emergency section, to theatre and to ICU etc.) because of the nature of their specialty. Sometimes they spend 3 straight days at the hospital without attending to his/her personal/family stuff. This is excluding his plenty hours of reading and studying to keep abreast with large volumes of current stuff. In addition, their years of training are different (some a minimum of 6years, some minimum of 8years). The Anesthesiologist, the Obstetrician, Pediatrician and Internal Physician also spend similar, though less number of hours in the hospital. 

 

In Developed countries, they are paid accordingly to reflect the extra hours, effort and time of training. Also some specialties like Ophthalmology and Anesthesiology, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat) have higher rates of litigation and other risks, so these factors are considered in their remuneration. Thus they get a higher pay than the Pediatrician and General Practitioner. 

 

In Nigerian Government Hospitals, all these doctors are paid equally! No consideration for extra working hours and specialization. I don\'t think it is fair enough. It is practically because the legislators or whoever that sits down to decide the salary structure of Nigerians Professionals don\'t know or they don\'t care about brilliance and extra inputs required in becoming Professionals & Specialists in the different areas of study. I remember how a Chairman of a Health-committee in a FGN office said in a public forum/press conference, that Lab-scientist see patients and make diagnosis, the Nurses treat the patient, the Pharmacist prescribes the drug, while the doctor only examines the patient. That shows the depth of knowledge shown by our leaders and legislators! It\'s obvious who must have fed him with that kind of purulent stuff. 

 

Now, before a medical doctor becomes a CONSULTANT, He/she spends extra six to ten years of study, research and series of examinations to gain extra skill in a particular specialty. THIS EXCLUDES THE SIX TO EIGHT YEARS OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. He may even go ahead and sub-specialize in a particular subspecialty. That is a CONSULTANT. No matter how long a doctor stays practicing medicine and surgery, if he does not go through extra training and specialization in approved institutions and being certified by a board of specialists, he wont be called a CONSULTANT. No cutting of corners. There are minimum requirements & qualifications. Now the current brouhaha in the Health Sector is that some other health workers says they want to get to the peak of their career by answering Consultants without extra training and specialization. They want to get the same pay-package, hazard allowance, call duty and rub shoulders with the medical doctors. However, they dont want to spend extra working hours (without overtime pay) like the doctors. They dont want to spend extra time, sweat, resources, and face more hazards & risks involved in specialist training before attaining the status of CONSULTANT. Is that reasonable? Currently, hazard allowance is 5,000 for all health staff (those who receive it) in Teaching Hospital irrespective ofstatus (both doctors and non-clinical staff). Do they face the same hazard? Donât you think the cleaner who cleans up blood and vomit of patients should get more hazard allowance then the administration staff who sits in an air-conditioned office till the close of work? I know there are consultant Pharmacists and Nurses in some other countries like Canada, but they are not in the Hospital settings (you can Google it). They have special training and are thus recognized for it. 

 

Why do these professionals want to cut corners? Is it not because they are in a country where hard work is made less relevant and mediocrity is the order of the day. If they succeed in this fight of cutting corners to the peak, then our health system will be plagued with substandard Consultants. Since, you can become a consultant by just years of experience, what is the need of spending extra energy and resources in specializing when you can just wait or lobby to become one? A health system is made of different professionals and workers who work together as a TEAM (Together Everybody Achieves More) for the good and well-being of the patient. Remember that

anybody can be a patient. This TEAM has a Leader who is the Medical Doctor. When the other members of the team fail to recognize this leader, the team achieves less. Now when a Team has more than One Leader who are struggling for status, the team is split into less productive units and the patient suffers. Paramedics should not be struggling for status and relevance with doctors. It's not appropriate. Nobody is stopping you from getting to your peak. You must not see patients and answer Consultant to get to your peak. 

 

The Developed countries we keep referring to have maintained the hierarchy and status-relativity in their health system. If JOHESU wins this lobby, one day in Nigeria, court clerks will ask to be Judges (after all they are graduates), Police will ask to be Chief of Defense Staff, The Chemist can answer Pharmacist, the auxiliary nurse can ask to be Chief Matron (after all she has 30yrs experience), a recruit soldier can ask to be General (after fighting several battles) etc. Nobody is looking down on any profession. They all have their relevance and limits. 

 

Professionals should maintain their relevance and not ask for that of others. LET THIS SQUABBLE STOP PLEASE. If there is a fight to be fought, it is with the Nigerian Government and Leaders, who are supposed to use our resources appropriately to improve health-care delivery to the masses, encourage hard work and reward each person accordingly. 

 

United we stand. 

 

By Kennedy N.