•Blames Doctors For Low WHO Ranking •Hails Ambode
For Health Workers’ Consultancy Cadre Approval
Chioma Umeha
With Nigeria ranking 189 in healthcare service
provision among the 191 World Health Organisation (WHO) member countries,
pharmacists have attributed the country’s poor performance to failure of
doctors to adjust to global changes in health administration.
The pharmacists who spoke under the platform of
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) counselled doctors under the umbrella
body of Nigerian Medical Association to embrace global practices in healthcare
service management and delivery.
PSN blamed NMA for the poor WHO ranking of the country
and the prolonged intractable disagreement among professionals in the sector,
following the latter’s claims that health administration and leadership is the
preserve of doctors.
But, the association praised Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode,
the governor of Lagos state for the recent creation of pharmacists’ consultancy
cadre in the Scheme of Service of Lagos state, saying that it is a step in line
with international practice as opposed to the NMA stance.
Commending Gov. Ambode, Ahmed Yakasai, and Emeka
Duru, National President and Secretary respectively of PSN, lamented that the
state government has issued a circular approving the consultancy cadre which
the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) had kicked against.
PSN however bemoaned the decision of the NMA for
requesting the withdrawal of the circular.
The duo of PSN National President and its
Secretary told journalists that global performance index of healthcare sector
is based on administrative prowess and not medical criteria.
Both said the pharmacy consultancy cadre, as
approved by Lagos State Government in the service of scheme is the best thing
the health sector can achieve.
According to the duo, Lagos State Government is
absolutely in line with harmony and inter-professional needs to attain
international best practices in the healthcare delivery system.
Giving instances of countries with the best health
care system like France, Italy, USA where the Health Ministers are not medical
doctors, PSN reiterated that the worldwide performance index is dependent on
neutrality and administrative prowess and not on ‘medical qualification’.
“Incidentally, the Director General of World
Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhamon, an Ethiopian, studied Biology. If
he, and all those above, were in Nigeria, NMA would have protested.
“This is the situation the NMA of Lagos is
attempting, and writing to a Governor as knowledgeable as Ambode Akinwunmi –
a distinguished administrator who knows his onions and is committed to
advance mankind.
“The criterion for selection in these great and
successful countries is based on professional and administrative experience and
this is the same down the administrative structure. In Nigeria, the criteria
for selection are solely based on MBBS qualification and it is also the same
down the administrative structure. Does that tell you the reason(s) for
failure?
“PSN shall not relent in promoting the health
sector in Nigeria. We commend the Lagos state Government for this bold action
of international best practice”, the statement said.
It said the barrier and superiority mentality has
deepened the health sector woes in Nigeria, making the system poorly ranked
among its counterparts in the world.
“Among the 191 WHO member countries, Nigeria is
sadly ranked 189 in healthcare service provision. It is very obvious that in
Nigeria, healthcare service delivery is averse to change,” it further stated.
“We are where we are today because of the
cataclysmic barrier NMA catalysed by their poor choices in the health sector.
These barriers prevent the policy makers from seeing reality from the
international point of view. Lagos State Government is absolutely in line with
harmony and inter-professional needs to attain International best practices in
the healthcare delivery system.”
Consultancy/Specialist status
The PSN body representatives observed that
specialists and consultants in various fields in healthcare are a common trend
across the world.
They said, “Specialists and consultants are
mandated to train and award fellowships based on their skills and competences.
“These healthcare team members earn specialist
allowances as they render services to the patients. In this current loggerhead,
NMA said the consultancy cadre is sacred to only doctors (yet, citing certain
international best practices).
“We run Fellowship in the West African
Postgraduate College of Pharmacists to improve our knowledge, attitudes, skills
and competences to promote and maintain a high standard of professional
pharmacy practice.
“We have Primary level ( one year), Part One (two
years) and Part two (two years). Pharmacists undergo a minimum of 12 months
residency training and present dissertation that are assessed by erudite
academics (Professors and all PhD holders), before the award of Fellowship in
various specialties.
“In fact, in the USA, a Nigerian (Dr Teresa
Pounds- a consultant pharmacist) heads the Residency training and runs the
consultancy program in one of the biggest Universities.
Yakasai condemned NMA’s disposition on the recent
creation of pharmacists’ consultancy cadre in the Scheme of Service of Lagos
state.
He said, “I read with utmost dismay, as NMA has
turned both Judge and jury in its case. Representing all parties in the health
sector. Deciding the fate of everybody and declaring others as they will.
“This has messed up the sensibilities and
sensitivities of the health sector by incessant and unrelenting relegation of
others. What we have is a contradistinction to the labour law. NMA determining
what others should get when NMA is not an employer of labour. This negates
labour engagement and a breach of human rights.”
A profession regulating another
Reacting to NMA claims to power of regulating
other professional in healthcare services, both PSN executives condemned the
assertion.
They said, “This is strange. Only in an indecent
and decaying system can this happen.”
They asked rhetorically, “Can a Building engineer
regulate the training of a civil engineer? Can an Architect tell government not
to recognise the Master of Science of a Building engineer?
“Nigeria is not and should not sink so abysmally.
Other health professional have the right to develop themselves in line with
best international practices-sincere practices please; not the one only NMA has
access to. The interference with growth and development of healthcare in this
country is becoming an embarrassment to civility,” they said.
