Doctors brainstorm on challenges of heading teaching hospitals

*DTOF takes awareness, free medical checks to local communities

Doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and Doctors Time Out Family (DTOF), a non-governmental organization (NGO), have brainstormed on the challenges faced by colleagues as Chief Medical Directors (CMDs), Medical Directors (MDs) and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of tertiary hospitals.

President of NMA, Prof Mike Ogirimma, at an event to mark the second anniversary of DTOF with the theme “Doctors as Heads of Tertiary Health Institutions in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects” said that the management of all the centres was better before the partial democratization of the procedure for the appointment of the CMDs/MDs.

Ogirima frowned that however Stakeholders are not involved in the monitoring and evaluation of the tenure of d CEOs, neither are they involved in the discipline of the CEOs coupled with the fact that their are few cases of gross corruption, arrogance, high handedness and recklessness in our leaders. He advised that doctors must lead by good example, build up trust among themselves and beyond their boundary and form an all inclusive management protocol must be seen in all health institutions.

DTOF was established initially as a Social media initiative of Dr. Anthony Chukwunonso Ude (Narcolepsy), a radiologist in-training at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Oyo State.

The organization started as a whatsapp group two years ago precisely on June 15, 2015, and members include doctors from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and cut across all cadre of doctors mostly below the rank of consultants in all levels of health care delivery including: Primary Health Care (PHC) centres, general hospitals, federal medical centers and teaching hospitals.

The organization recognizes the tremendous power of social media and utilizes this means to bridge the communication gap among Nigerian doctors. It addresses all issues affecting members on its very effective platforms and always rises to the occasion in all cases of unfair treatment of doctors and their representatives nationwide.

DTOF through its activities is undergoing a remarkable transformation into an organization geared towards the sustenance of welfare for all members of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and NMA political sensitization, mobilization and engagement of doctors nationwide, bridging the communication divide between junior doctors and that between doctors and the public, driving support for the establishment of a well structured residency training programme, dismantling inter-professional strife in the health sector, addressing areas of health needs especially in vulnerable communities, caring for the needy and less privileged, improving the national health insurance quality and coverage and is committed to reduce capital flight due to health tourism from Nigeria.