THOUSANDS ATTEND UNTH INTERVIEW; COUNTRY REALLY IN RECESSION?

The anti-corruption war in Nigeria is a good development, a much needed entity to curb the influence of the ‘cabal’ way of life of the creme de la creme, a system where merit does not play a role, neither does it put food on the table anymore. 

To some in this young and vibrant generation, our leaders of old have failed us, left the young with no plan for the future, a chaotic environment and a hopeless hope that we would be, one day, the leaders of tomorrow when infact, they lead us till we become old and frail. I’m sure you can agree that there’s no government for the young at heart in this country. This brings us to the sad situation of the medical profession in our nation. 

It beats anybody’s imagination, how the country is handling the necrosis, the so called ‘brain drain’ that has enveloped the profession. If the young professionals, ‘our future’, are denied their rights, and left for the wolves of nepotism to devour, how then do they become what they have set out to achieve in life? How do they help the country become a better place?

Just this morning, prospective medical interns will be attending an interview at UNTH, marching in as i write this. But it will shock you to know that, over 448 house officers, 800+ medical lab science, 300+ dietetics and nutrition were shortlisted, and so many other departments. We all know, even the prospective interns, that they will all not be given appointments. Hardly would 40 house officers be given the job, out of 448 who travelled from all over the country risking their lives and spending so much to attend the interview.

As you are reading this, i’m sure some questions would come to mind, part of which is

1. If medical internship is compulsory, why then is there no provision for graduating medical interns to be translated into the program? Why is there no platform for that?
2. Why do they need to write exams when they just finished a graduating professional exam? Are these accredited centers saying that the standards of an individual’s graduating school is lower than theirs? When infact they graduate interns too?
3.  Why is it that accredited centers don’t take up to the quotas allowed by their financial allocations? What happens to the rest of the slots or allocation? Who monitors and audits them?

We can go on and on with these questions without end. Yet our medical elders have sat back, watching as the profession goes down the drain, as usual, with no intervention.

 Countries all over the world have a template in place to ensure easy transition from a student to an intern, why are we any different? Why should we suffer ? Why can’t medical interns be posted? Why are centers not upgraded to accommodate for increasing graduands? Why has the federal ministry of health and all the governing medical councils folded their arms and turned deaf ears? Do they want us to believe there is something they are gaining from not been transparent? Somebody needs to answer these questions. 

The Prospective Interns/Houseofficers Association of Nigeria will not stop talking and raising issues until the medical profession is liberated.

Article by Nick Atte MD

For PIHAN.