PHARMACISTS, under the aegis of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), have faulted the threat by doctors represented by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to go on a nationwide strike if the Federal Government accepts the demands of health workers represented by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) to skip the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) 10 as well as other demands.The pharmacists also condemned the call by the NMA that the crisis in the health sector would be greatly reduced if certain services including pharmacy were privatized through a Public Private Partnership arrangement.The PSN in a press statement jointly signed by the President, Azubuike Okwor, and the National Secretary, Victor Okwuosa said: 'The NMA as a traditional promoter of strike and professional disharmony does not stand on a moral ground to counsel any group or union about the need or otherwise of strike actions in Nigeria.'It is extremely ridiculous that doctors can accuse other health professionals of 'perpetrating acts reminiscent of stealing from Government by threatening and blackmailing government to allow them jump a grade level in Government' when Nigerians are in the know that doctors under the aegis of NMA go on strike for months on end and sometimes a whole year and are still paid millions of naira by Government for allowing patients to die from services not rendered.'In the very recent past, Doctors in Anambra State went on strike for 13 uninterrupted months because Anambra State Government ignored their excesses while their counterparts in Lagos State are on record to have absconded from duty for four full months in 2011 on flimsy grounds.'The Society said the threat by the NMA to go on strike if government redresses the challenges of its other partners or stakeholders in the health sector for pharmacists portrays gross irresponsibility and a contradiction of the same principles NMA preached when it suggested JOHESU should not have gone on strike in the first place.The pharmacists said 'the Dr. Osahon Enabulele led NMA appears very confused as some of its members are beneficiaries of the so-called skipping of GL11 because fresh doctors on housemanship have an entry point of GL 10 and proceed to GL12 after youth service. This implies they skip GL11 like other health professionals they are fighting for daring to agitate for skipping.'The PSN said if NMA thinks other health professions should be privatized, then government should start by privatizing the practice of medicine in public facilities because of the low productivity of government doctors. 'Government can engage the big private hospitals to run the various clinics in government health institutions with more efficiency, productivity and cheaper rates than government pays public sector doctors who work for less than three hours a day and yet earn the fattest salaries in the civil service for a take-off of the model of Public Private Partnership NMA has canvassed for,' the PSN advisedThe PSN said privatising pharmacy facility will amount to sacrificing a guaranteed public sector market to private profiteers when government hands over its pharmacy facilities without some fundamental condition precedent in the guise of Public Private Partnership.The pharmacists said the key aspect of internship training of pharmacy graduates/manpower development will be lost as this cannot be the priority of private business concerns who reckon less with such values. 'The implication is that pharmacy students will have to seek opportunities from limited approved centres for internship training where hospital pharmacy practice is not compromised. Internship is mandatory one year training for both pharmacists and doctors and some other healthcare staff,' the PSN said.The PSN further explained: 'There will be obvious compromise in patient counseling, promotion of rational drug use, drug information services, pharmaceutical care, adverse drug reaction reporting, therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmaco-epideomology which are salient ingredients of professionalism expected in hospital pharmacies because private profiteers would never engage enough hands to cater for these interests.'The act of privatizing hospital pharmacy departments appears discriminatory to the profession of pharmacy in relation to other health professions of equal standing. It will stagnate the career growth and development of pharmacists in the public service. Ultimately, this development may deny pharmacists the opportunities of reaching the peak of their careers as Directors or Permanent Secretaries in the public service. We find it necessary to draw attention to the Medical Ethics Manual of the World Medical Association under relationships with other health professionals, which states inter-alia 'non-discrimination is a passive characteristic of a relationship. Respect is something more active and positive. 'The PSN said it is not opposed to Public Private Partnerships but believe in the philosophy especially when it is crafted in ways that offer positive therapeutic outcomes to the citizenry. 'Our observation is that the suggestion of the NMA paves the way for sacrificing the clinical and pharmaceutical care aspects of professional practice which are some of the social functions owed the citizenry by Government. We believe albeit strongly that drugs remain the pivot upon which credible healthcare revolves. Therefore, drugs should not and must not be commercialized beyond a reasonable limit,' the pharmacists said.
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