Dear All,
Sadly, we have noticed what Massimo Dodoma is saying, in our own terrain too. Market forces have taken over, altruism in health care has gone.
It's money first across several levels, from admissions to training institutions, to the point-of-interface with patients in the clinics, money comes first and talks!. Practitioners are extorting money from patients before they offer care. Practitioners are extorting money from their own colleagues too!
As for the influence of pharma, it is worse. There was a time in the 1990s when it seemed that the influence of pharma in inducing practitioners in prescribing and research, etc had waned, but talk to colleagues now, it has resurfaced.
What is the answer, I am not sure, given the insecure and unsure world we live in at present.
Joseph Ana
CHIFA Profile: Joseph Ana is the Lead Consultant and Trainer at the Africa Centre for Clinical Governance Research and Patient Safety in Calabar, Nigeria. In 2015 he won the NMA Award of Excellence for establishing 12-Pillar Clinical Governance, Quality and Safety initiative in Nigeria. He has been the pioneer Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) National Committee on Clinical Governance and Research since 2012. He is also Chairman of the Quality & Performance subcommittee of the Technical Working Group for the implementation of the Nigeria Health Act. He is a pioneer Trustee-Director of the NMF (Nigerian Medical Forum) which took the BMJ to West Africa in 1995. He is particularly interested in strengthening health systems for quality and safety in LMICs. He has written Five books on the 12-Pillar Clinical Governance for LMICs, including a TOOLS for Implementation. He established the Department of Clinical Governance, Servicom & e-health in the Cross River State Ministry of Health, Nigeria in 2007. Joseph is a member of the HIFA Steering Group. Website: www.hriwestafrica.com
jneana AT yahoo.co.uk