Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis
The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals says it is wrong of the Federal Government to continually appoint medical doctors as health minister and medical directors of public hospitals.
The association said that non-medical practitioners are better suited for the administration of health ministry and public health facilities.
The NUAHP president spoke in reaction to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria bill, which was sent to the Senate by doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association.
NUAHP is an umbrella body of physiotherapists, medical lab scientists, dietitians, optometrists, radiographers, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, dental therapists, dental technologists, health information managers and physicists.
Justifying the bill, NMA President, Prof. Innocent Ujah, said that the new law would make it easier to expedite action on pending cases of professional misconduct against doctors at the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Disciplinary Tribunal.
In an interview with PUNCH HealthWise, NUAHP president, Dr. Obinna Ogbonna, warned that office of the minister and medical director or chief executives of public health institutions should not be the exclusive preserve of medical practitioners.
“A typical example is the appointment of Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, a non-medical practitioner, during the Obasanjo’s administration.
“Under his watch, the health sector witnessed relatively peaceful industrial atmosphere and steady growth where other healthcare professionals were equitably treated under an atmosphere of justice and fairness,” he said.
The association also expressed concerns that only two health practitioners without affiliation to medicine had had the privilege to head the health ministry.
“Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, a pharmacist, once headed the federal ministry of health. Prof. Eyitayo lambo, a health economist, was another minister who was fair to all.
“Whenever a non-medical practitioner heads the federal ministry of health, it is usually better because the marginalisation agenda, suppression tendencies of medical practitioners on policies and benefits that will improve other healthcare professionals’ wellbeing won’t be displayed. In short, bias would have been taken care of,” Ogbonna stated.
He alleged that the position of health minister has been politicised, stressing that any qualified person can run the ministry.
“The ministry is, the ministry of health, not the ministry of medical practitioners. Ministers don’t practise their various professions on that seat. It is purely administration of human and non-human resources.
“The nation’s health indices under the watch of medical practitioners nose-dive constantly.
“Nigeria is rated 187 out of 191 nations in the commonwealth due to poor health outcomes, which could be traced to many factors, more visibly, poor administration of the health sector,” he said.
Speaking on the MDCN Bill, Ujah stated that, “The current state of affairs is such that cases linger for years due to frequent dissolution of the council and the disciplinary tribunal. And when the tribunal finds a doctor guilty of professional misconduct, the extant law does not permit it to suspend such a doctor for more than six months. The next most severe sanction is erasure from the Medical Register.
“We support the clear delineation of the function of the council proposed in the Bill. The passage and assent will settle the unnecessary confusion, inter-professional acrimony and friction in the health sector.”
Recall that JOHESU president, Biobelemoye Josiah, had also kicked against some aspects of the MDCN Act 2020, warning the Senate Committee on Health that the matter was still in court.
Josiah reminded the committee at a public hearing of the existing rules of the National Assembly not to consider legislating on matters before the court.
“We draw the attention of the senate committee on health to the fact that the issue of the regulatory agency which has powers to regulate and control clinical/medical laboratory practice in the field of pathology is an ongoing suit at the Court of Appeal. For the record, the NICN in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/284/2014 had ruled that MLSCN has such powers in Nigeria,” he said.
It was on such premise that the NUAHP calls on the FG to intervene and stop all forms of discriminations in the health sector.
“It is high time the NMA and her allies realised that the medical/health team is a collaborative work; no profession is greater or more important than the other. Every team member contributes enormously for an effective and efficient healthcare service delivery to our patients.
“Every member of the health team should realise that the earlier the toga of arrogance is dropped and mutual respect for one another is imbibed, the better for the entire system,” he said.
Ogbonna told our correspondent that it was even wrong of physicians to believe that the prefix of ‘Dr’ should be reserved for medical practitioners alone.
“Now, more professions in the health sector had been given approval by the NUC to use ‘Dr.’ after their course curriculum and content had been upgraded to international best practice standards.
“For instance, Doctor of Physiotherapy, Doctor of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Doctor of Radiography, among others, would soon be approved.
“Medical sciences is evolving daily, and other medical professionals must meet up with the global change in disease presentation and management.
“The advancement cannot just be for only medical practitioners but for other members of the medical team must also advance in their studies and skills, hence the need for an upgrade,” he said.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: health_wise@punchng.com
The post Office of health minister, hospital CMDs not exclusive preserve of doctors –NUAHP appeared first on Healthwise.
