Medical Doctors with Divided Loyalties:
Working For Government, Operating Private Medical Centres
Medicine
Deborah Adekaa
A public affairs analyst and member, Amnesty International, Dan Morgan Ihumon has lamented policy of Medical Doctors working for Government hospitals and at the same time operating their private hospitals or clinics. This has caused concern to patients who are beginning to debate on why the government allows such a policy to stand. Clearly, the attention one get in a private clinic is far better than what is obtain the government health facilities, Ihomun said.
Ihomun further said most people prefer government owned health facilities, because they are subsidized for the common man going by the current economic realities in the country. But, the attention given to patients in these public spaces is bleak because these doctors have other businesses or are busy in their private owned hospitals.
Howe Akura said in his case he went to the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi where his wife was diagnosed with a certain ailment. However, the doctor on call directed them to one private hospital in town, only for him to discover that the hospital was owned and operated by the same one who made the referral. Sometimes, Akura said, they doctors in this habit have cohorts in the public hospitals who make these referrals with some monetary reward.
For Terseer Gbiseh, his son’s situation was left at the mercy of God, simply because he refused following the referrals for fear of the huge financial implication.
Ihumon, Akura and Gbiseh called on the Government to put up a policy that will guide against this practice but at the same time should provide a conducive working environment, quality drugs and modern health equipment for public hospitals to thrive. They say these will bring back confidence and stop the activities of medical doctors with “divided loyalty.”
Sulaiman Giwa said, his wife was due for labour and when he approached the public hospital, he was billed about 70,000, the same operation that goes for about a 150,000 in the private clinic where he went. However, the case was pronounced “delicate” by a senior nurse who refers him to the private hospital. He went there eventually because he could not take chances with the life of his wife and the unborn baby.
A Gboko based medical Doctor who does not want his name mentioned said currently, there is no law that prohibits doctors working in public hospitals to own or operate private hospitals. However, he advised that such doctors (for the sake of humanity) should not allow their private engagements have negative effect on the services they render in the public hospitals. He was quick to add that most people do not know their rights, some get confused when the life of their loved one is involved, that is why the situation is the way it is.
When the Transmitter visited the Benue State Hospital Management Board to seek clarifications, the Executive Secretary, Dr. Jack Inalegwu declined comments. But the questions on the minds of many is, in the case of two emergencies coming at the same time from the public and private health facilities, where will the Doctor (on call) who operates or is a consultant with a private set up go? He or she will first and foremost protect his private business. This ought not to be so, judging from the essential service offered by medical doctors who are on oath to save lives. It is better to stick to one divide and leave the other. Attempts to speak to medical doctors (who are into this practice) fail, as no one is willing to answer the mob questions.
In the developing countries, the public sector hospitals have a mandate to service the masses. The health of a nation is determined by infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate and life span of its citizens.
The responsibility of a doctor is to treat patients and save lives and working in both these institutions counterproductive. But the situation where trained and employed medical doctors leave students on housemanship to attend to their private businesses is unhealthy with a rising number of deficits in the health sector. This trend must stop as government is implored to relook into the policies on the engagement of medical personnel especially the medical doctors who are the nucleus of a health centre.
