Why do professionals and service providers in Nigeria behave in a tyrannical way and see themselves not as servants but as gods that should be worshipped? I know I’ve been on the case of Nigerian lecturers, who treat their students like dirt and nuisance, have a god complex, and a sense of entitlement that is inconsistent with their poor professional outputs.
Today, I am ranting about medical professionals–doctors and nurses. You go to a typical hospital and you encounter nurses that are curt, impatient, rude, and unprofessional. Some of them rain abuses on women in severe labor who can barely move, screaming at them and ordering them to do things they cannot do in their condition. Others are in the habit of bullying and even shoving patients instead of patiently instructing and explaining procedures to them. It is bad enough that one is sick and has to make the dreaded hospital visit. The additional psychological trauma of dealing with arrogant, abusive nurses can compound one’s condition.
The worst are the doctors. Here in America, when I visit my doctor, we chat. We have a conversation while he’s taking my vitals and performing procedures. My questions are answered politely. My opinion is sought. Options and ideas are presented to me respectfully and I’m consulted on any proposed procedure and even asked what option I would prefer. It is very interactive and you feel that you’re part of the process. Your doctor would ease your anxiety by making small talk, asking about your family and work, etc. When s/he is done with a diagnosis, s/he would even ask you to seek a second opinion if you desire or to take some time to decide if you want to go through the recommended treatment. You feel you’re in control.
In Nigeria, doctors are all puffed up like mini-gods. You dare not go to their offices to make inquiries or ask simple questions even when you’ve paid the exorbitant charges they impose on you. They will not consult you on anything, and God help you if you have the audacity to ask questions or seek clarifications on prognosis or treatment. And if they charge you a certain amount, don’t even ask for a breakdown if you don’t want to incur the doctor’s ire.
They will intensify your anxiety and create psychological anguish for you with their attitude to go with your physiological ailment. They will scream at you when you ask simple questions such as why the wound has not been dressed since yesterday, why the drip has not been changed, and why the surgery for which you paid your hard-earned money three weeks ago has not been performed, even though they said your payment was what was delaying the procedure and that the theatre was set for the operation. Where is the empathy one expects from those who practice the healing arts? Sometimes you wonder if they really took the Hippocratic oath not to do harm.
This is one of the reasons I do not instinctively and uncritically align with Nigerian professional unions when they go on strike to demand better conditions of service, which they deserve. The problem is that these professionals are never self-reflexive and self-critical enough to realize that their attitude, services, and productivity suck and have to improve to justify any improvements in their remunerations. They never hold themselves accountable. They never ask anything of themselves and do not want to answer to the public, recipients of their services, and other stakeholders. They hate accountability. They love a mediocre system that allows them to maintain a shabby attitude to their jobs.
If you suspect that this rant is personal, it is. A family member of mine is currently undergoing treatment in a Nigerian hospital and the doctor in charge flares up when my folks seek updates, ask questions, and seek clarifications. And this is the same guy who abruptly discontinued treatment and instructed his nurses to halt their visits because a small balance had not been paid even though the patient is hospitalized with them and is at their mercy.
Source: Facebook