Is The Humanitarian Tag Exclusive To Medicine?

If the humanitarian tag is not exclusive to medicine, to what extent are the allied professions....living up to the humanitarian calling? Medical labs and blood banks do not release results and life-saving blood unless immediate cash is paid! Similarly, pharmacists do not release life-saving drugs (private and public pharmacies) until patients pay!

The common scenario is to see a doctor use his money on patients, borrow money to treat patients, obtain drugs on credit (if possible) for patients, leave his clinic at 2:am to plead with blood banks to release blood for dying patients, donate blood to patients! And occasionally, when the lab allows the doctor to guarantee patients' detbs, some patients even lead doctors to owe such labs....as they refuse to pay such guarranteed debts!

Patients would not dare to approach pharmacies for drugs or labs for blood if they have no money....because they know such trips would be futile! In fact, nurses are the only allied professionals who share the doctor's mindset regarding putting patients' lives above money! And another point:

Why are allied health professionals ever so ready to impersonate doctors yet equally eager to put us down? A cursory observation of this attitude in the public health sector for instance, should leave the unwary onlooker dumbfounded. This practice is common among male nurses, CHOs, lab scientists, physiotherapists and pharmacists.

Even pharmacy technicians, lab technicians, community health assistants and physiotherapy technicians lead all around them to believe they are qualified doctors....their kids' teachers, other relations, club and church members, in-laws.....! So when these various impostors commit horrendous atrocities, the unwary citizens are falsely led to believe that these felonies are attributable to the medical profession! It is like every criminal in the diaspora claiming to be a Nigerian.

False, I say. False!!! Rather than some members of these professions allow their ego to lead them to render a spontaneous denial of these facts....possibly using uncivil language, it behooves them to call their randy colleagues to order....to be proud of their professions....not merely in words....but in deed!!!!!

Dr Tosin Akindele is a Lagos-based medical practitioner and good health advocate.

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Articles by Tosin Akindele