I try hard to understand the bone of contention here, and its saddening that supposedly enlightened people are fighting over what is not. Lets just assume, that for one day, a pharmacist heads a teaching hospital. What could go wrong? These are the arguments I'd like to hear. What if a nurse was called a 'consultant nurse' based on her experience and years of service, or whatever other criterion that makes a medical doctor 'consultant', again, what would go wrong? The fight really just seems like a fight for supremacy and titles to me, but we all know really, that no one can perform the real roles of medical doctors. No one. So what are they fighting for? Both sides? But these doctors still go to work when there's an emmergency involving one of theirs. What are we talking about here? Its man's inhumanity to man that would ruin us all.

VantagePoint:
How can you generalize so much?
How many doctors have you come across?
Are they all greedy?
Greed, or any other vice is a personal attribute, and not something that can be applied to everyone.

true, then. maybe am cursed with meeting only the greedy ones

OP this is a lost case. DOA- dead on arrival. Doctors are fruads in Nigeria. That's d plain truth. Their case is beyond redemption. I know a lot of doctors in d employ of d Govt who simply shift govt services nd medical supplies to their private clinics.

They are hardly found in govt hospitals for consultation much less for any form of treatment whether surgical or advisory. Its a real mess out there. All d huge govt subventions gets diverted by the Chief medical directors and d medical board. NMA shud first tackle d corruption among their top brass before coming to Govt for any more money.

warrior01: Hate doctors? The fact is those people in Nigeria that parade themselves as Doctors, don't know what it really means to be a mreal doctor. No ethics, no compassion and no proffessionalism. All we have is a bunch of greedy people that is full of unnecessary pride. If you doubt me, why do our people rush to India for proper treatment?

This is to show the extent of how you reason. Our people rush to india because there are no hospitals here to match the professionalism they have there thanks but no thanks to the leaders of the nation!! When i got into school, i hated the pride the medical students had but when i saw what is involved , i understood. I am not saying that there are not bad eggs within them but they deserve whatever they need! Any country or rather government that allows her medical doctors to drop their stethoscope for reasons she can handle in no time has no interest of its citizens at heart! I stand to be corrected!

soludo93: Let's be honest. Nigeria doctors are both mischievous and dubious. with all the money they are earning regardless of the peril of million unemployed graduates, they still want more money. They should think about others for a second.

how much are they been paid.... Google something's out sometimes man.... Nigerian doctors are grossly underpaid compared to other countries..... the other health workers always use US as example.... in that country, docs are paid more than oil workers

DONMAYOR19: U know u may not make front page because u supporting doctor, that only topic that is against doctor only make front page, I'm so happy the mods disappoint u by placing it in front page, u better try and modify that statement now........secondly I read only the first statement, because as I scroll go down see plenty write up, I nearly faint. So I just skip am go comment for the one when me don read and understand, hope I'm not bias thou?

This has got to be the most annoying thing ever written.if u had the gud sense to read such a well crafted article then maybe ur use of English would be better.ur grammar is just a reflection of ur level of stupidity.with that said....ild advice u read more articles,pull out a dictionary n don't post any more until ur IQ surpasses that of a kindergarten pupil.scratch that.....am sure my nice wud write something better....n she's only in primary 2.

@OP......well written.but in all fairness.....I think doctors r being a little unfair.having gone thru their 23/24 demands u'ld realise that this is just a battle for supremacy.doctors work hard.....the nurses work hard too,the lab scientist do a lot of work everybody plays their role well.....I thinkwat the health sector needs is a uunited front.we cud achieve more if we create a united entity.....more pay for health workers,better work environment for workers n condusive ,well equipt facilities for patients.most health care providers work in hospitals they can't even afford to fall sick in.....that's just wrong.
Again @OP.....nice post

Roliks09: I try hard to understand the bone of contention here, and its saddening that supposedly enlightened people are fighting over what is not. Lets just assume, that for one day, a pharmacist heads a teaching hospital. What could go wrong? These are the arguments I'd like to hear. What if a nurse was called a 'consultant nurse' based on her experience and years of service, or whatever other criterion that makes a medical doctor 'consultant', again, what would go wrong? The fight really just seems like a fight for supremacy and titles to me, but we all know really, that no one can perform the real roles of medical doctors. No one. So what are they fighting for? Both sides? But these doctors still go to work when there's an emmergency involving one of theirs. What are we talking about here? Its man's inhumanity to man that would ruin us all.

read dz.
https://www.nairaland.com/1798662/trouble-nigerian-health-sector

Ok..... there is a saying where I come from that, what is facing somebody is backing another person.
Medicine is a noble profession, doctors are lovable professionals but majority of our naija doctors, gush!
We don't hate doctors, infact, i have doctor siblings, ironicaly, one is a typical naija doctor while the other is so down to earth. It is this ego wahala! Even, God says he detest the proud. 90% of nigerian doctors are something else but when you meet the ones with the true calling, they are wonderful, they didn't read medicine to escape poverty but to contribute to humanity.
If doctors can bury their ego, greed, selfishness and have the right attitude to what they practice, they are great people!

Nobody can hate a doctor. Since nobody hates life

Janiobi: When you guys starts saving lifes first than bodring about the registration and hospital fees b4 operating on patients then we would care for you guys...Imagine an injured person runing to a nearby hospital to receive care and Died right there cause he had not the money to pay for his treatment,So he was not responded too. W.T.F is going on with doc?

Basic healthcare, like deliveries, should be free, I agree and some state governments are already taking steps towards thid.
However, standard healthcare is expensive (drugs, fluids, bed space, needles, syringes, plaster, gauze, cotton wool, sutures, antiseptics, and so on ). The average Nigerian patient DOESN'T pay AFTER services are rendered and these disposables are used on him to get better. Mind you, these things are not free but bought with money. They start pleading or refusing outright to pay.
Who runs at a loss?
At public hospitals where healthcare is free, patients get prompt attention.

firstly welcome to nairaland@ poster! I took out time to go through your entire post and found it interesting. However, i make bold to say that most nigerians do not hate medical doctors.....far from it. What we hate is their egoistic and almost sadistic approach in resolving issues that they have leveraged this particular strike upon. I must say, at this juncture, that most of their demands unreasonable and if implemented will only lead to further chaos in the health sector in the form of strikes. Imagine! Most of the doctors here on nairaland even gloat about the strike while patients are out there losing their lives....and all they simply say is 'let the other professionals treat them since they want to be equated with doctors'. That kind of reasoning is dangerous. Already, which other professional in the civil service earns more salary than medical doctors? It is also known that medical doctors are well respected in the society far above other health professionals.......yet these doctors don't think about all these. It seems also that these doctors have conveniently forgotten that doctors can't work in isolation in the hospital. Other professionals are needed too and they deserve respect and consideration. And please doctors stop telling us how you spent 6 years in school. It is annoying.

Thanks Dr. Eilogie for your well researched write up. You have shown the material doctors are made of. Is anybody still in doubt why things are still going the other way in our health sector? Why the most basic drugs must be imported from India? Professionals and vocational are leaving undone what they are trained and paid to do; seeking to bastardize the art of patient/doctor relationship by dilution. I have been in medical practice for 33yrs and I must say this development is catastrophic. I blame the Pharacists squarely for this ugly development; for giving leadership to an unholy alliance to pull down doctors. Let us watch.

@DebateNigeria... I took the pain to read through your article about 3 times. First, i have no objection to your points on not sharing the position of CMD or others as stated with other health sector practitioners, but my grouse is that -"we Nigerians hates our Doctors so much"
I don't hate Doctors but i hate their Greedy tendencies. Doctors are not professionals again because of material and pecuniary gains!
How do you explain the incessant strikes by NMA like ASUU? Both NMA and ASUU have lost any iota of credibility to most Nigerians because of their inhumane strikes that lacks any form of professionalism for both professions involved.

Be like say i no go put in Medicine nd Surgery again oya switch to Pharmacy.

Janiobi: When you guys starts saving lifes first than bodring about the registration and hospital fees b4 operating on patients then we would care for you guys...Imagine an injured person runing to a nearby hospital to receive care and Died right there cause he had not the money to pay for his treatment,So he was not responded too. W.T.F is going on with doc?

Young man u talk as if u dont have any Atom of reasoning in ur Brain!...when u are hungry can u run 2 any resturant and after eating refuses 2 pay?...
A Hospital dosnt mean a charity Organisation.
B4 coming 2 a hospital u shuld have it in mind that the nurses,ward maids,cleaners u see around are been paid from wateva income the hospital generates or are u so daft 2 knw dat?
or am i to still explain 2 u dat d surgical instruments and the drugs are been bought?...or u tink the Doctor walks into a Pharm store and picks dem free or an Credit?...i guess u knw dis is Nigeria NOT USA.

Why won't doctors be hated?

When pharmacist(y) created a thread about upgrading to Pharm.D, Nairaland Doctors were bashing and calling them Medical doctors wannabee.

The thing is that, Nigerian medical doctors and their undergraduate are too pompous and arrogant. Kapish!

anyways, *following the argument from behind*

DOCTORS AGAIN-You can be a called a doctor in two ways 1. By Nomenclature. Anybody who cares for a patient and is suitably qualified to care for that patient. eg medical doctors, nurses, pharmacist, medical scientist,optometrists, dentist etc provided you care for a patient. This is the dictionary definition. 2. By qualification. When your certificate carries an appellation of DOCTOR by a recognized institution. By this our medical boctors have no right to call themselves doctors since their certificate carries the appellation Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery. The word DOCTOR comes from the root word teacher, this means you must have been proven to have a doctrine(by the way of a thesis). Our present medical doctors do not carry out a research thesis before graduation so CANNOT BE CALLED DOCTORS by qualification, unlike in the US where they award MD. Why all this story? There is nothing special about medical doctors that make them think that other professions must be downgraded because the government positioned them as the leader of the health care team. Methink because if this appellation called DOCTOR that makes them think they are special. Since they are doctors by nomenclature, pharmacists, medlab, nurses etc can be called doctors and deserve the same recognition as our dear medical doctors. Only Optometrists and pharmacists(UNIBEN) are doctors by qualification and nomenclature.

DONMAYOR19: U know u may not make front page because u supporting doctor, that only topic that is against doctor only make front page, I'm so happy the mods disappoint u by placing it in front page, u better try and modify that statement now........secondly I read only the first statement, because as I scroll go down see plenty write up, I nearly faint. So I just skip am go comment for the one when me don read and understand, hope I'm not bias thou?

Some have brain but cannot read...

Janiobi: When you guys starts saving lifes first than bodring about the registration and hospital fees b4 operating on patients then we would care for you guys...Imagine an injured person runing to a nearby hospital to receive care and Died right there cause he had not the money to pay for his treatment,So he was not responded too. W.T.F is going on with docs?

Mr man, in respond to ur post. Lemmi give u this real life story that happened in minna general hosp. A man was rushed in who had a bike accident, shouting that he was in pains,I was working there and I felt sorry for him since he didn't have anytin o him. Doe I diddnt hav much one me then, I got the nurses to admit him , paid for his drugs and investigation after he promised he wud pay back. He became ok after some days.

While I was off duty, I saw him sneaking out of the hospital cuz I knew he had not settled his bills. I confronted him and asked "mr man, where u dey go"." U don pay the money when u dey own".u needed to see guilt written all over his face. He turned back and went to his bed. D next day, I came and was told by d nurse he absounded

This the happened to me about 3 times while I worked there for abt 4 months.

So mr man, do u still encourage the hosp to give free drugs. If they shud, who shud pay for it. wud u not be the 1st to shout to high heavens that u cudnt get. "Common" medicine in d hosp cuz patients refuse to pay for replenish the drug revolving funds

warrior01: Hate doctors? The fact is those people in Nigeria that parade themselves as Doctors, don't know what it really means to be a mreal doctor. No ethics, no compassion and no proffessionalism. All we have is a bunch of greedy people that is full of unnecessary pride. If you doubt me, why do our people rush to India for proper treatment?

You can do all of us a favor by telling us what it means to be a real doctor, seeing you are one.
The reason why people rush to India for treatment is simple:there are no adequate facilities and equipment (which are very expensive) to maintain. A few state governments are trying to reverse this trend and Nigerians don't have to go abroad for valvular heart surgery or renal transplantation because of these centres.
My point?
Direct your question to the government.
If you come across a private hospital that offers these expensive services (like in Lagos),be ready to pay through your nose for it.
Have you ever wondered why your much touted Indian doctors rarely have issues like NMA and JOHESU? Because their government ensures all parties are satisfied. Nigerian doctors come from all parts of the country, different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, etc.They have only one thing in common; blistering hatred for them by Nigerians who have never even met them before!
This is a pre-concieved notion that most people have about doctors.
Our politicians who scream along the road in convoys and have gun-toting guards with them are not arrogant,.
Nurses who shout at relatives and gossip at their stations are not arrogant.
Soldiers who harass civilians and burn BRT buses are not arrogant.
No, it is only Nigerian doctors.

Opusy: It Iڪ so disheartening that τ̲̅ђe highest paid workers(Doctors) will still wake up asking for more from D̶̲̥̅̊ govt. And even striking 2 bend D̶̲̥̅̊ hand of FG forgetting their primary aim of saving lives. Mos of dese docs have private clinics opened with D̶̲̥̅̊ cash they get from D̶̲̥̅̊ govt. Nobody hates them, they hate τ̲̅ђe pple they're called 2 serve.
They should go 2 dia former primary And secondary schools And take a look at how τ̲̅ђe teachers who built their interest .i̶̲̥̅̊n̶̲̥̅̊ Medicine are suffering.
Yet they open dia dirty mouth 2 vomit rubbish.

...some can read but have no brain.

splasher: DOCTORS AGAIN-You can be a called a doctor in two ways 1. By Nomenclature. Anybody who cares for a patient and is suitably qualified to care for that patient. eg medical doctors, nurses, pharmacist, medical scientist,optometrists, dentist etc provided you care for a patient. This is the dictionary definition. 2. By qualification. When your certificate carries an appellation of DOCTOR by a recognized institution. By this our medical boctors have no right to call themselves doctors since their certificate carries the appellation Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery. The word DOCTOR comes from the root word teacher, this means you must have been proven to have a doctrine(by the way of a thesis). Our present medical doctors do not carry out a research thesis before graduation so CANNOT BE CALLED DOCTORS by qualification, unlike in the US where they award MD. Why all this story? There is nothing special about medical doctors that make them think that other professions must be downgraded because the government positioned them as the leader of the health care team. Methink because if this appellation called DOCTOR that makes them think they are special. Since they are doctors by nomenclature, pharmacists, medlab, nurses etc can be called doctors and deserve the same recognition as our dear medical doctors. Only Optometrists and pharmacists(UNIBEN) are doctors by qualification and nomenclature.

Source?

Roliks09: I try hard to understand the bone of contention here, and its saddening that supposedly enlightened people are fighting over what is not. Lets just assume, that for one day, a pharmacist heads a teaching hospital. What could go wrong? These are the arguments I'd like to hear. What if a nurse was called a 'consultant nurse' based on her experience and years of service, or whatever other criterion that makes a medical doctor 'consultant', again, what would go wrong? The fight really just seems like a fight for supremacy and titles to me, but we all know really, that no one can perform the real roles of medical doctors. No one. So what are they fighting for? Both sides? But these doctors still go to work when there's an emmergency involving one of theirs. What are we talking about here? Its man's inhumanity to man that would ruin us all.

I like your take, so let me make some points for you.
First of all, the civil service rules and procedures lumping all doctors in all parts of the country into one pay scale is wrong and over due for change, just like lumping all university professors into one pay scale without regard to their local market is wrong, and not consistent with free market economics. It's unfortunate to have strikes and industrial actions by nurse, doctors, professors/teacher, court workers, etc

Allied health workers(Pharmacists, Med lab techs(( I know someone will begin to correct me that its 'scientist', it's not)), physical therapists, respiratory therapists, etc) understand the limited scope of their profession right from their school days. Some of these professions, though essential are never a do or die for the well trained doctor. I know, because I trained as a medical lab tech, though we called ourselves scientist, because it was more prestigious before going to medical school, spent 5 more years, and have continued in residency and fellowships for the past 9 years.

Some allied health courses last from 6 months to 2 or 4 years, and they are focused on their areas only.
If you own a hospital, you would like someone who knows a thing or two about every aspect of medicine in charge, I mean from anatomy to basic science, to diagnostics, to different types of therapy(note pharmacists know only one form of therapy(pharmacology), there are others out there like radiation, counseling, and pyshycotherapy the pharmacist has no clue about), to pyschology/psychiatry, to administration, to teaching younger medical students. If you replace an engineer who oversees everything about your building project with a carpenter just because he said he wants to enjoy being called an engineer too, what happens to the plumbing, electrical, and even painting aspects of the building?

A self respecting pharmacist would never accept to be appointed chief medical director of a hospital even for one day, because he or she was never trained as such, but we have the Nigerian situation where people want gratuity without ever doing the work.
Nursing is almost as old as being a physician. A nurse who is not proud to be called a nurse should never have been a nurse in the first place. And they should really move on, that was why I had many nurses in my medical school class. Nurses rise in their own rank structure, and happily too. Trying to confuse patients with doctors' appallation and titles is simply an identity crises. There used to be a chief matron at UNTH Enugu who was so well respected by both doctors and nurses, that she would scoff at being called a consultant!

Like some one said, all these struggle for the doctors' title, position, and pay is akin to sharing the national cake, unfortunately, nobody wants to scramble for the doctors mountainous years of study/education, the doctors unholy hours of work, and the doctors comprehensive understanding of the patient. We are even discussing this topic as an issue, because we're in Nigeria where the truth is sometimes buried under magomago!

splasher: DOCTORS AGAIN-You can be a called a doctor in two ways 1. By Nomenclature. Anybody who cares for a patient and is suitably qualified to care for that patient. eg medical doctors, nurses, pharmacist, medical scientist,optometrists, dentist etc provided you care for a patient. This is the dictionary definition. 2. By qualification. When your certificate carries an appellation of DOCTOR by a recognized institution. By this our medical boctors have no right to call themselves doctors since their certificate carries the appellation Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery. The word DOCTOR comes from the root word teacher, this means you must have been proven to have a doctrine(by the way of a thesis). Our present medical doctors do not carry out a research thesis before graduation so CANNOT BE CALLED DOCTORS by qualification, unlike in the US where they award MD. Why all this story? There is nothing special about medical doctors that make them think that other professions must be downgraded because the government positioned them as the leader of the health care team. Methink because if this appellation called DOCTOR that makes them think they are special. Since they are doctors by nomenclature, pharmacists, medlab, nurses etc can be called doctors and deserve the same recognition as our dear medical doctors. Only Optometrists and pharmacists(UNIBEN) are doctors by qualification and nomenclature.

...a well written nonsense!

The health sector in Nigeria is in a complete mess. The government never listens unless workers go on strike. The government does not care for the health of the people.

Why do pharmacists want to be called Chief medical director? A doctor cannot be appointed Chief pharmacist. All teaching hospitals already have Chief pharmacists!

The word "Medical" came from "medicine". It is because we are been led by a stupid government that has brought us all into this mess.

I have no objection if they want to become consultant nurse or consultant pharmacist, so far the role is clearly defined;. They have something like this in the United Kingdom, where they have very few of them in these funny posts. I have met a few of them, and you can see how odd they feel when they introduced themselves to you!

The most important thing is not to give the role of a medical doctor to a nurse or a pharmacist.

The salary of the highest paid doctor has always been higher than the salary of other professionals in the health sector all over the world, there is no reason why it should be different in Nigeria

splasher: DOCTORS AGAIN-You can be a called a doctor in two ways 1. By Nomenclature. Anybody who cares for a patient and is suitably qualified to care for that patient. eg medical doctors, nurses, pharmacist, medical scientist,optometrists, dentist etc provided you care for a patient. This is the dictionary definition. 2. By qualification. When your certificate carries an appellation of DOCTOR by a recognized institution. By this our medical boctors have no right to call themselves doctors since their certificate carries the appellation Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery. The word DOCTOR comes from the root word teacher, this means you must have been proven to have a doctrine(by the way of a thesis). Our present medical doctors do not carry out a research thesis before graduation so CANNOT BE CALLED DOCTORS by qualification, unlike in the US where they award MD. Why all this story? There is nothing special about medical doctors that make them think that other professions must be downgraded because the government positioned them as the leader of the health care team. Methink because if this appellation called DOCTOR that makes them think they are special. Since they are doctors by nomenclature, pharmacists, medlab, nurses etc can be called doctors and deserve the same recognition as our dear medical doctors. Only Optometrists and pharmacists(UNIBEN) are doctors by qualification and nomenclature.

you are talking trash my dear

I don't hate doctors o! I just hate all the unnecessary strike they go on, and them against other health workers becomin a director. If u get to the level of a director, u are by all means a director, whether a pharmacist, pysiotheraphist, science lab or a nurse. But on a serious note, how can a nurse or science lab head a doctor as CMD? That's preposterous. Personally, I won't agree to that if I'm a doctor, its just like a mechanic with CITY and GUILD and with 20yrs experience, tryin to head and engineer with 3 or 5yrs experience, that's so impossible. An engineer has a higher qualification. Doctors spent more yrs studyin in school and we all know that most people who fail in their quest to study medicine are most times sent to other courses. I am not against anybody but pls give honour to whom honour is due. Mass servant/Cathechist with 30yrs experience does not qualify him to be a Priest or head a Catholic church. And 'NO' I'm not a doctor

Lenzz: OP this is a lost case. DOA- dead on arrival. Doctors are fruads in Nigeria. That's d plain truth. Their case is beyond redemption. I know a lot of doctors in d employ of d Govt who simply shift govt services nd medical supplies to their private clinics.

They are hardly found in govt hospitals for consultation much less for any form of treatment whether surgical or advisory. Its a real mess out there. All d huge govt subventions gets diverted by the COMMAND and d medical board. NMA shud first tackle d corruption among their top brass before coming to Govt for any more money.

Yes I agree with you to a large extent. The decadence in the public sector is everywhere. The government should put machinery in place to check this menace not only in the health sector but in all other sectors. Blame the government for allowing doctors to divert patient and or resources to their private hospitals, blame the government for allowing laboratory scientists to divert patients to their private labs, blame the government for allowing pharmacist to divert patients to their private shops.
Indeed we are in a lawless society, if not they all would be in jail.
NMA should stop personalizing their demands..... They should also make demands that address the issue of corruption in the health sector.

truGambit:

This has got to be the most annoying thing ever written.if u had the gud sense to read such a well crafted article then maybe ur use of English would be better.ur grammar is just a reflection of ur level of stupidity.with that said....ild advice u read more articles,pull out a dictionary n don't post any more until ur IQ surpasses that of a kindergarten pupil.scratch that.....am sure my nice wud write something better....n she's only in primary 2.

@OP......well written.but in all fairness.....I think doctors r being a little unfair.having gone thru their 23/24 demands u'ld realise that this is just a battle for supremacy.doctors work hard.....the nurses work hard too,the lab scientist do a lot of work everybody plays their role well.....I thinkwat the health sector needs is a uunited front.we cud achieve more if we create a united entity.....more pay for health workers,better work environment for workers n condusive ,well equipt facilities for patients.most health care providers work in hospitals they can't even afford to fall sick in.....that's just wrong.
Again @OP.....nice post

Yes truGambit, you have spoken well. This is exactly what I have been advocating, a united front. They can all come together and make our health sector the best in Africa and indeed one of the bests in the world. The doctors must drop their pride while the JOHESU guys must learn to live with the fact that they will never be treated as doctors.

DebateNigeria:

Yes I agree with you to a large extent. The decadence in the public sector is everywhere. The government should put machinery in place to check this menace not only in the health sector but in all other sectors. Blame the government for allowing doctors to divert patient and or resources to their private hospitals, blame the government for allowing laboratory scientists to divert patients to their private labs, blame the government for allowing pharmacist to divert patients to their private shops.
Indeed we are in a lawless society, if not they all would be in jail.
NMA should stop personalizing their demands..... They should also make demands that address the issue of corruption in the health sector.

Thank you for being open and honest. Nice topic all d same

all these medical school dropouts be hating