Leaked Nigerian Doctor’s Opinion on the Ongoing JOHESU Strike
My take on this JOHESU menace is that we have left the Govt to do most of the fighting for us for too long. Even the threats we issue against the demands of JOHESU, are still largely directed at the Govt to fight them for us and not give in to their demands.
There are simple things we can do if we are commited that can assist us in this fight.
What is clear is that the lab scientists are leading the fight against the medical profession. They have succeeded in uniting other professions in the healthcare industry to fight us, ensuring that we are embattled on many fronts. I think it’s time we took the fight to them and focus on the lab scientists who are not so difficult to defeat. We should divide our fights.
To achieve this, we the clinicians will have to help in strengthening the pathologists in the labs. We are the consumers of most of the lab investigations wether in public or private settings, officially or unofficially (such as patients who call us on phone or accost us in social gatherings with investigation results). We decide if we accept it or not.
We can use that opportunity to turn patients/clients against these lab scientists who have made it a point of duty to always malign doctors before patients/clients that present to them for investigations, either in the public or private settings.
The first thing we should ask every patient/client who brings an investigation result before us in whatever setting is, was the investigation signed by a pathologist. We should also take time to explain who a pathologist is to them. We tell them outrightly that any result not signed by a pathologist is unreliable however simple, even if it’s a PCV or urinalysis. We decline any further discussions on the result(s) until they get one from a pathologist. Next time they go for any investigation, they will ask the labs if they have a pathologist to review and sign the results. We should take time to also verify the pathologist who signed. To this end we may need to develop a means of verifying a genuine pathologist. Such a demand is not unfounded and cannot be said to breach ethical principles as we know the pathologists have a better understanding of what goes on in the labs and their significance to the validity of the results and utility as a clinical tool in patient management.
For such however to be effective, a summit of all medical doctors in the country on curbing the JOHESU menace needs to be organised, championed by the NMA. There we can brainstorm on how we can contrubute in salvaging our profession. Such agreements and many others can be reached which every health practitioner in the country will be required to adhere to. That way, it can trend. If we are able to tackle the MLSs, our fights will likely reduce drastically. It may take time but it can be done. In that state, anyone in his/her right senses will think twice before going to study for a 6 yr MLS degree.
We need to take a more proactive approach and should not just keep hoping that the government continues to hold its ground. Government considers the political angles to its decisions and may sooner or later make major concessions if it’s political fortunes are being adversely affected by the incessant crisis in the health sector.
