Nigeria: Medical Guild Rejects Appointment of Non Doctor in Lagos Health Commission

The Medical Guild has rejected the appointment of a non-medically qualified person as the permanent secretary of the state Health Service Commission, saying it contravenes the Health Sector Reform Law 2006 setting up the commission. Stating this in a communiqué during the Ordinary General Meeting of the Guild in Lagos recently, it said it was also rejecting the Lagos State Government’s appointment of consultant pharmacist into the state Health Services, as well as other circulars regarding radiographers and medical laboratory scientists. The communiqué reads in part: “It is our position that the word ‘Consultant’ in a hospital, refers only to a specialist medical practitioner of high ranking who is an expert in his/her field. We have observed that the conferment of the status of Consultant to any health worker apart from Medical Directors will lead to chaos and anarchy in the health sector. It will also adversely affect patient care and indeed promote widespread quackery in the state. In addition, the conferment of the status of Director on the Medical Laboratory Scientists and Radiographers will lead to turmoil and confusion in the system. “Authority’s intention to give autonomy to the Medical Laboratory Scientists in pathology department of the State hospitals is of concern. We reject any attempts to distort the algorithm in hierarchy in the pathology department of state hospitals. We will not accept a situation in which medical laboratory scientist will be allowed to function independently of pathologists.” The communiqué, which was signed by the Guild’s Chairman, Dr. B.K.S. Saheed and Secretary, Dr. Opeyemi Aiyegbo said it would set up a committee to ensure that its members continue to maintain services in hospitals following the strike action embarked on by members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), adding that the committee will liaise with medical directors to ensure all areas of operations are open. “We will reach out once again to the authorities with the aim of ensuring that members of the Guild receive training due to them, because we observed that medical doctors have not been benefiting from training programmes while other health workers have been given various trainings,” the communiqué reads.