Nigerian Government Should Stop Doctors From Establishing Their Own Private Clinics?

Opinion: looking at the current NMA (Nigerian Medical Association) strike, it seems our doctors are being irrational and kind of greedy! And Nigerian nurses aren't happy with the doctors...and now, the nurses are suggesting to the government to stop all doctors on government payroll from establishing or opening their own private hospitals. Hmmm....it sounds harsh but it seems to be true....

Nurses in the country have condemned the ongoing strike by the medical doctors. They urged government to stop all doctors on it’s pay roll from establishing private clinics. Besides, the nurses under the umbrella of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) also condemned what it described unethical behavior or practice of Medical Practitioners whereby in-patients are compulsory discharged against their wish whenever Nigeria Medical Association calls for industrial action. The Nurses in a statement issued on Sunday and made available to newsmen in Abuja expressed displeasure over the strike, stressing that NMA always wants to make it appear that the patients left the hospital because doctors are on strike.

The statement which was signed by Mr. Yusuf-Badmus, General Secretary, NANNM stressed that, “the public at large must be made to know that most in-patients are in the hospital for comprehensive healthcare (physical and psychological) and are being taken care of by the nurses and other health professionals, except those that have been booked for surgical procedures or surgical operation.”The medical practitioner therefore, has no moral nor ethical justification to compulsorily force them (in-patients) out of the hospital to make the hospital empty because doctors are on strike.”

He explained further that “Ante natal care, deliveries and post natal cares are handled by skilled nurses or midwives even where we have or do not have medical practitioners. Most hospitals or health facilities in Nigeria are run today without medical practitioners especially in the rural or semi urban areas where the medical practitioners have distained and refused to work.“The public are therefore encouraged to attend and patronize the hospitals because other health professionals such as skill midwives, the accident and emergency (A& E) Nurses, intensive care nurses, orthopedic nurses pediatric nurses etc. including the medical laboratory scientists, medical record officers, the radiographers the physiotherapists and pharmacists etc are on ground to attend to their health needs.”He further stated,

“All government health workers should have a unified salary scales. Difference should be entry/exit points and professional/peculiar allowances of the different cadres of workers. This will go a long way in checking and prevent unhealthy rivalry and end to the incessant strike action, that leaves the innocent patient to suffer.”