Health professional rivalry: MDCAN harps on patient-oriented leadership

CONCERNED about the lingering inter-professional disharmony among the different groups of professionals in the country’s health sector, the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association (MDCAN), UCH Chapter, harps on finding lasting solution through patient-centred leadership.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Annual General Meeting of MDCAN on Tuesday in Ibadan, Prof. Titus Ibekwe, said that the health system should be based on teamwork to deliver the best possible healthcare services to all Nigerians.

“The purpose of today’s lecture is to tell ourselves what are those things that we have not done right in order to achieve maximally for our country.

“Having a patient-oriented leadership will ensure that all Nigerians irrespective of class or status can easily access qualitative healthcare.

“The misconception that doctors lord it over other professionals has created an atmosphere of mistrust.

“All members of the team are equally valuable and essential to delivery of healthcare services and effective healthcare teams have been linked to an increase in job satisfaction and a more productive workforce,” he said.

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In his remarks, Prof. Temitope Alonge, the CMD, University College Hospital (UCH) urged the various groups of healthcare professionals in the country to work in harmony for the progress of the health sector.

He said that every healthcare professional has the responsibility to maintain the ethics laid down by each profession and must respect the limitations of the profession by working in harmony with others for the wellbeing of the patients.

Earlier, Dr Victor Makanjuola, Chairman, MDCAN-UCH, said that the unhealthy inter-professional rivalry among the various groups of the country’s health sector workforce contributed to the dysfunction and poor service delivery.

Makanjuola called on all healthcare professionals to come together as one in order to build a strong health workforce and achieve their common goal of providing quality healthcare services.

“The cycle of strikes by the different groups of professionals at different times has not benefited any group, things have to change.

“With tolerance and respect towards one another, we can form a formidable coalition of health workers such that when we make our demands we can get results, improve our standard of living and have better working conditions.

“A united workforce is more likely to achieve its goals without resorting to incessant strike than a disharmonious one,” he said.