How to maintain peace in health sector —CMDA

Consensus by medical doctors at the 2018 annual state conference of Christian Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria (CMDA), Oyo State was that in maintaining peace in the health sector, doctors should ensure they stop being portrayed as being proud.

Speaking at the conference with the theme, “Christian Doctors in Leadership and Politics,” Professor A. Adenipekun, head, Radiation Oncology Department, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan said the general belief is that doctors are proud, even when relating with other members of the medical team.

He said maintaining harmony in the sector, doctors should pop up other members of the team, while allowing them to attain their full potentials, sharing leadership and ensuring mutual respect and clear-cut job descriptions.

“Do not hold them down and preventing them from moving. They complain that because we are leaders, we do not want them to be anything at all.

“Please, let them feel important, let’s bring them closer. Let there be mutual respect, and before you know it, we will bring them to our side and peace will reign, “he declared.

Professor Abiodun Otegbayo said it was an issue of perception that doctors were tagged as proud people, adding that this was because of their leadership role in the health sector.

He said “we are in a position that is visible and by the nature of our training, are to be in charge. And that training makes you know that you just have to do something and patients and their relations also want us as a compass.

“Even when you know that the patient is going to die, you still maintain that professional look, even when inside me there is turbulence that this patient is going down. So we must recognise that; I am not saying people are not arrogant.

“But one of the ways that we can keep our leadership position is to ensure that we are firm. When they are wrong you let them know that they are wrong; when your own colleagues are wrong you let them know that your colleague is wrong.”

Dr Wale Okediran, the guest lecturer at the event, said a leader is a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal, adding that doctors stop showing apathy to politics and politicians to be able to more relevant in the health sector.

“Many lawmakers do not know anything about medicine; they already have the impression that doctors are proud. Before you can change anything in the health sector, you need to be proactive, you need to come over there and put out your own views and challenges.”

Earlier, UCH’s Chief Medical Director and Chairman at the event, Professor Temitope Alonge, urged Christian doctors not to shy away from taking leadership positions under the premise that holding a political position is a dirty game.

He said all they needed was Godly wisdom, saying it will give them the insight, foresight, discretion and understanding even on how to maintain peace in the health sector.

While by virtue of training a doctor heads the medical team and others in the team should be allowed to reach the peak of their career, he said “people should know what their limitations. For instance, that you are director of clinical nursing, does not give you the impetus to be able to direct all the affairs in all the clinics and theatre.”