ECHOES OF FAILED AMBITIONS 

 

The recent fight for supremacy in the health sector and the unnecessary rift between JOHESU and the NMA has drawn me back to the medieval. I had to think over again one of the reasons I eventually found myself as a member of these most recently endangered species. Back then in primary 4, with no personal prior contact with a medical doctor, I made a stunning observation - every one who then was pursuing a medical-related course in the University, be it Biochemistry, Microbiology, Optometry, Physiotherapy, Medical Lab Science, Nursing or Pharmacy, came home to the village brandishing himself as a doctor. 

 

When few clarifications were made about these disciplines by our teacher (God bless her) , I reasoned that there must be something about the doctor lacking in the other ENVIABLE DISCIPLINES that made them proudly present themselves as who they were not even after spending time reading a profession. Looking into the Nigerian society, the medically ignorant(literate or not) without reservations calls anybody who offers any help in his ailment as doctor. Be it the over the counter patent medicine dealer; the charlatans who have taken over our media houses with treatments of staphylococcus, gonococcus and even non existing cocci; the specialists in diagnosing malaria and typhoid who do \'culture\' for every ignorant Nigerian presenting to him; the man who has converted drug dispensing places to consulting rooms and treatment centres with many children who had earlier seen him with diarrhoea presenting later to the hospitals with extra pyramidal signs and symptoms (thanks to his antiemetics & antidiarrheal agents) ; or the women in the maternity homes(most of them owned by hospital orderlies, after all they work in the hospitals) from where almost every case of obstructed labour and ruptured uterus emanate. 

 

Do a little finding about the man who flaunts stethoscope in front of his car daily along our roads and you will be shocked about the man behind the wheels.

 

My worrry is: 

. Why can't every member of the medical profession be bold, proud and contented to present himself to the ignorant citizen as who he is and treat himself as such within the limits of his profession? 

. Why is it that only the accountant, administration officer, porter ,orderly in the health sector that puffs himself up and sets himself for "equality fight"? 

 

This is why I don't even waste energy arguing the unnecessary but recurrent question of 'who is or should be the leader of the health team'? My answer has always been, 'res ipsa loquitor' (facts speak for themselves) for even the natural things of life can provide the needed answers.

 

Perhaps opening up a research area for interested Nigerians will do us good, wishing among other things our country had a good data base as seen in developed countries. We may need to find out the following: 

. number of doctors who have degrees in other areas especially medical laboratory science 

. why in some countries medicine is only read as a 2nd degree course 

. first course of choice in JAMB (for those who even attempted) by every practising professional in the health sector .number of times each practising health professional attempted JAMB and courses involved before settling down for what they do presently 

. who is actually arrogant among health professionals ,getting the perspective of patients admitted in hospitals 

. why the doctor doesn't meddle with even a hospital pin while embarking on strike but his counterpart professional locks up the lab and even sets members on guard to prevent entrance, locks up consulting rooms and patients files, hides clerking sheets, stops water tanks, disconnects power supplies even to life saving gadgets 

. how often the man who claims superiority ,who treat ignorant Nigerians at every nook & cranny touch his child or close relative when they fall sick May be the revelations from researching into these and more will answer some of the questions bothering the Nigerian citizen about the rancour in the health sector and deliver an unbiased judgement. 

 

Unfortunately,we live in a society where titles take precedence over proficiency;where leaders are bereft of common sense; where the struggle for national cake is sacrificed for excellence; where charlatans and noisy touts dictate for professors the course of state affairs; where laid down rules/guidelines are sidelined once the man up is either your brother or colleague or you have patted him on the back; where we wait first for a system to crumble or become overstretched before we act right and even when we act do window dressing that ends up producing white-painted sepulchre. Perhaps the day the doctor starts looking at this current war from this view point, he will be better armed and informed to fight along. Most of these fights are attempts to get even; attempts to square up; attempts to prove to then classmates " after all we are still equals." 

 

How happy I would have been if these fights were exhibit new discoveries and attitudinal change geared towards better patient management and not scramble of who earns higher or is the superior. Happy to see the orderly cleaning up the vomitus of a child on admission for which she was employed and not forcing parents with all impunity to do so; happy to see the laboratory scientist analyze and dispatch results in the shortest possible time according to international best practices and not allowing patients' relatives and doctors running endlessly up and down just to prove "I am more important." Happy to see the pharmacist keep good stock and not allowing patients' running across roads even in dire emergencies. Happy to see the nurse provide adequate nursing care plan and services and not allowing patients dress their beds, empty uribags, or the doctor running helter scatter for materials needed during procedures. Happy to see the doctor live up to expectations in all ramifications as the head of the medical team. 

 

In scenarios as above, we would be proud of our professions and not present ourselves for who we are not. Then there would be no assemblage of discordant individuals just in a bid to get a number and exterminate a group. If the lab scientist/technologist says he is the needed messiah , he needs not recruit the porter, the orderly and their likes who are not related to his profession. Let him fight constructively under the Medical Laboratory Science/Technologist Society of Nigeria. Likewise others in the sector. Whatever be the case, I foresee a revolution coming. I foresee doctors waking up to get involved in other aspects of life including national politics and not locked up and sidelined in the hospitals. 

 

I foresee a change in the way " the chiefs" treat younger colleagues. I foresee NMA no longer allowing her members work as errand boys doing the work of orderlies, porters , nurses, lab scientists, etc. I foresee a sanitized health sector where charlatans would no longer be allowed to diagnose malaria , typhoid at the backyard and go ahead to give prescription; where drugs can only be dispensed on the prescription of a certified personnel.

 

The NMA should neither be irked by the rift nor deterred by the unguarded and unpalatable comments geared to mislead, misinform and above all attract public sympathy. It should go ahead and encourage her members in Neuropsychiatry and Medical Psychology to offer free consultation and treatment to any who is willing. For a closer look will reveal lack of insight , a certain degree of distortion/ denial of ones true self of external reality, a delusion of grandeur. Thinking that granting of consultancy, making everybody directors, paying same salary will end the fight is just a dream. It has just begun and would still take new dimensions. Even with the on coming D pharm, DMLS, D Nurs, D orderly, D recorder, D health accountant, etc, the feeling of " am not there/ them yet" would still be there. For by whatever name it is called, a rose will still smell sweet and faeces have offensive smell. This is beyond what you think but can best be described as 'echoes of failed ambitions' 

 

By Anya Azubuike