LOW INCOME OF NIGERIAN DOCTORS EXPLAINED

Every Nigerian  has a doctors number or has a friend who knows a doctor. Once they have complain,  they don't bother going to take a card in the nearest hospital, they simply dial the most available doctors number. He takes a history on the phone and makes a diagnosis on the phone. This has 70% chances of being correct. Thereafter, the patient gets to the pharmacists and lab scientists to pay for the recommended drugs and tests.

By so doing, the "good" doctor who did phone consultation has prevented the nearest hospital from being patronised. Millions of such consultation occur daily and it is getting more by the day. With this poor patronage, you may not expect that hospital to be able to meet up with rent, govt and environmental taxes, talk less of paying good and regular salaries.

So, the hospital ends up paying little to staff including the doctors.

If hospitals were well patronised, and a doctor is not well paid by a colleague or govt he can easily walk out and start one hospital as well as pay others better. But because of general poor hospital patronage,  many of us would rather take the "shit" and keep going on strike.

But let these millions of telephone consultation stop and add those patients to the hospital clients. Patronage would increase and more money for salaries.  If you are not well paid you can walk away , go elsewhere or start your own; then pay others  better.

But for now, it frequently  costs a mere phone calls or a phone chat to get a doctor's service.  Yet that same doctor complains of poor pay in his working place or he may even be jobless.

Many govt employees, senior doctors, junior doctors and even medical students do this.

DEMAND AND SUPPLY DETERMINES THE VALUE ATTACHED TO ANYTHING HUMANS GET- especially financial value.

You can simply take a good phone history ask the patient to meet you in a hospital for examination. Or direct him or her to a nearest hospital for examination and more definite diagnosis.  This prevents you from being seen as wicked and also gives financial value to your services.



Doctors Beware.


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