Who are doctors-to-be?
We, who began our adult lives spending alternate days with
corpses, who carry bones in our bags and books that break our
backs. Who spend the prime of our youth in the grime of
wards. Who have already witnessed a lifetime’s share of
deaths. Who learn about depression but fail to recognise it in
ourselves. – Mrigank Warriers, 2013
Transformation asunder
The Federal Government woke up from slumber last week
and terminated the appointment of resident doctors in
Nigeria (about 16, 000 as quoted). Just like that! Seemingly
without thought, devoid of reflection and missing any
afterthought!
Personally, I think an ant must have bitten someone on the
toe and he had a knee jerk reaction. The minister of health
attempted to explain the termination as a ‘not a sack’, so
perhaps they need to employ a dictionary in the ministry.
To sack a single resident doctor is bad enough and shows a
lack of understanding of who a resident doctor is. Trawling
through the social media and following the public responses
to the termination reinforced this lack of appreciation of the
worth of resident doctors, thus this article. I will focus on
enlightening the minister, government and the public on the
quality, calibre and the truth about the resident doctor.
The registrar
This is the doctor in training under a consultant to become
a fully trained specialist in the future. Resident doctors or
registrars are those who having acquired a permanent
licence (as doctors) following the undergraduate medical
training, housemanship and National Youth Service Corps
(in Nigeria), have gone back for post-graduate training in a
chosen field of medicine. They often help teach medical
students, nurses and other hospital workers while learning
themselves.
For example, to become a neurosurgeon, one needs to
obtain a post as a resident in a hospital accredited to train
neurosurgeons. So, such a junior doctor will work under a
qualified neurosurgeon for about five or six years, do
multiple examinations and research, before finally being
certified as a fully trained and qualified neurosurgeon.
Someone you can then trust with your life and limb!
A special human being
Resident doctors are very special human beings. They do
the work in caring for patients as front line doctors and the
backbone of the unit, all rolled into one.
Resident doctors contribute a large chunk to the results
generated by the training institutions. They contribute value
in exchange for training and work much harder than what
they earn. They work day and night for the institutions and
do most of the grunge work.
The registrars often start the day much earlier than the
consultant starts and end their day much later. They work
much longer hours than most consultants and stay
overnight on call in the hospital while the consultant snores
his head off at home.
They do most of the work as instructed by the consultant,
as this is the virtue of the training. The registrar is
effectively the errand boy, the workhorse, the sponge,
duster and the cleaner in the hospital. Many end up being
moulded in the image of the specific consultant they are
working with and as such are able to perpetuate the quality
of care patients deserve as practised in the hospital.
A flower in bloom
However, as they are also at latitude to travel to other
hospitals and countries as part of their training, they often
have a worldlier outlook and perspective than some
consultants do. In fact, the hallmark of a good trainer is to
make sure your registrar or trainee is better than you are.
Resident doctors are the young brains who are innovative,
creative and stimulating. To watch a resident develop is like
watching the rise of the sun or the bloom of a beautiful
flower. That you have mentored someone and given him or
her shoulder to see further than you, enhances your
reputation as a trainer.
Please, sack all doctors now!
Residency training is a form of human capital development
and is a chief responsibility of government over and above
building roads and bridges.
In fact, any form of training done on government platform
must never be seen as a favour from government to the
trainee. Nigeria’s young doctors are sought after all over
the world and to casually throw this calibre of doctors away
with the bath water is simply idiotic.
No sane society will neglect, abort or even suspend the
training of highly skilled professionals. Therefore, there is
no value in sacking resident doctors, it is better sacking all
doctors and be done with life!
Finally, when death knocks at the door, the doctor is looked
upon as a god. When he accepts the challenge, he is looked
upon as an angel. When he cures the patient, he is looked
upon as a common person. When he asks for his fee, he
becomes a devil.

www.punchng.com/health/healthwise/please-sack-all-doctors-now/

You have spoken like the elder you are.
Absolutely nothing to add lest I spoil the message.

matify:

You have spoken like the elder you are.
Absolutely nothing to add lest I spoil the message.

Yeah, it's a well written article, kudos to the writer.
Obviously those who are rejoicing over the suspension of the residents are just ignorant of what's going on around them. Resident doctors are the backbone of any tertiary hospital in Nigeria. They do the bulk of work most times they sleep in the hospital for days without seeing their families. Yet their reward is this suspension!

very well said!