Professor Getachew Aderaya has been Internist and Chest physician for many years. Initially, he was working at Addis Ababa University in Black Lion Hospital. During the past 10 years, he had been working in the private sector initially. During the past 4 years, he established “Hallelujah General Hospital”. Then gradually, he launched Halleluya General Hospital where he is working as Clinical Coordinator now.
Herald: How do you measure your success and your accomplishment in the healthcare industry?
Professor Getachew: I have been working in hospital industry for almost 40 years. I initially served as a general practitioner in Humera and then moved to Harar Hospital where I served as general practitioner and medical director in one of the hospitals in Harar.
Then, after I served for 10 months, I moved to Addis Ababa to join post graduate training in internal medicine.
At that time, there were not enough candidates to join in the program. In course of time, I had to stay for one year to serve Zewditu Hospital as general practitioner. After I completed the training, I joined the university and decided to study respiratory and chest medicine. After few years, I moved to Canada to study on pulmonary medicine.
After I completed my training, I came back to my country and continued to work in the university. It was a time a lot of medical practitioners were fleeing out of the country.
I committed myself to coming back in the country and doing something. I did not like to stay a refugee in North America. Americans and Canadians wanted us to stay over there to take advantage over us. I really abhorred the Derg regime which was a dehumanizing system.
In light of my caliber I see that as something weak. Although I never had any idea about EPRDF, I made sure that it was not following the footstep of the Dergue regime. I hope the EPRDF has streamlined things in an integrative manner.
The unreformed EPRDF proved worse than the Dergue regime. Pondering if the EPRDF does not allow me to stay in my country, I will move to other Africa countries I decided to come back to my country and joined the university to do meticulous researches in the areas of HIV and infectious diseases.
I got PHD in infectious diseases in Canada. Then, I built a family business clinic. Gradually, I built Halleluya Hospital. This is the journey I consummated with success.
Herald: Is there any improvement in health industry? If yes, brief us about that?
Professor Getachew: The health industry here is really proceeding well. The government has been encouraging in the expansion of primary health care service. In general, the Ethiopian health care system did not move as much as it should because it does not include the private health sector. Of course, over the past, the EPRDF has really been doing upright job. We have so many kinds of health clinics and private hospitals.
In terms of numerical expression of health delivering services, there should be major improvement through acknowledgement of World Health Organization’s goal measurements.
Ethiopia has really performed very well in the sphere of health sector. There should be a lot to be designed, particularly; there should be a strong relation between public and private sectors. There should be in consideration of complementary process. Now, the government understands that the private sector is playing a critical role in the health industry.
Herald: Would you say something regard world-wide healthcare practices?
Professor Getachew: World health practice is getting well off the ground economic development of the state. In general, it has improved in diagnostic technology and in providing treatment opportunity for patients. Proportionately, Ethiopia’s improvement speed in health sector seems tardy. The world is really travelling at fast speed due to the current availability of diagnostic modalities. We have to work in this aspect.
As we are at the age of globalization and population explosion, how much health services and doctors are needed, can be a critical issue to rise. So, you have to catch up in this main point to response for health care problems.
Unless the developing countries attempt to control the population size, the development sector would be easily affected. There is, of course, an improvement at world scale. It should be going as fast as in consideration of the demand sides in need of health care. This is my major concern.
Herald: What is your say on the hospitals that see to the inception and delivery new infants even if the mother is at a menopause period? Does this affect the increment of population size?
Professor Getachew: This case does not have effect on the increment of the population size. There are few hospitals involved in this aspect. Developing countries are way behind. These countries are not still aware of the value of unlimited family. This number could not majority affect the population size.
Herald: How could your hospital scale up its service in accordance with global level?
Professor Getachew: When I and my family members decided to build the hospital, we have objectives. One of the objectives is that we should introduce services which are not readily available in this country. It could be made available but for some reasons the services are not available in this country.
Since I have a rich medical background not only in here but also in other countries, there is usually curiosity to start up new services here. So, we introduce new services. As I am a pulmonary and respiratory physician I have introduced full pulmonary function test. This service was not available in this country before. I also initiated a sleep laboratory test which was not available before here in this country.
It is not available in neighboring countries as well. We have planned to introduce hair restoration and hair transplant as well as kidney transplantation service. There are so many things to do in health service.
We need to boldly start them. Our initiation is not to replica of the pre-existed service but to introduce new services. To do this, a lot of time, money and trained manpower are needed. These are the major limitations in this country.
Herald: What contributions does your hospital have in the expansion of programs and in the attainment of high in customer demands?
Professor Getachew: We have 150 beds in the hospitals. We have emergency and minor services, chemotherapy unit, inpatient and outpatient, dialysis unit, cardiology units and among others. It requires effort in the expansion program as well. I think we are one step ahead to fill gaps and make available healthcare service in this country.
Herald: Does your hospital zero in on medical research and professionalism as well as doing scientific researches? If yes, brief us about that?
Professor Getachew: One of the objectives establishing this hospital is not only providing health services but also intimating support medical research. I have experience in doing researches. I am doing researches in my hospital. There are about two research mechanisms in medical issue. Basic and clinical researches are the main medical researching ways.
Basic scientific research requires a lot of money and support. This is going to happen in the near future. My study mostly revolves around doing clinical research. We are already doing clinical research and doing study paper through gathering data from the patients and other variables. The other objective I have resides in working in the area of sub-specialist program thereby doing researches.
Herald: Does governmental organizations, particularly, Ministry of Health support your hospital? If yes, could you brief us about that?
Professor Getachew: We are moving antagonism in the previous regime. Currently, we are in the state of working together with the government body. The government shows support to the private sector. Now we are moving from a state of antagonism to a state of cooperation. The government should support us in acquiring land space to build hospitals and training centers
Herald: what do you think about the introduction of medical insurance in the country?
Professor Getachew: Medical insurance is an excellent idea to implement in the country. This helps spare a lot of people from spending more money for health coverage. Medical insurance is an upright idea. The service should be affordable for the common people.
The medical insurance companies should negotiate with the health centers in terms of managing the amount of payment, the extent of patients visiting the doctors. The detail should be studied in such a way that neither hurting the patient, the insurance companies nor the healthcare providers. All over the world medical insurance is a way to render medical service.
Some many people die because of the mistakes done by doctors and medical practitioners. Of course, nowadays, a lot of people go to court in quest of justice because of the mistreatment of doctors and hospitals as well clinics in both private and governmental health institutions. Special committee and the Ministry of Health are looking the fairness of accusation and also to see the extent of the breach of ethics.
They are who see to fair judgment. This is not really simply putting in the document shelf of court case. Many patients are dying following mishandling by doctors. It is something that should be put in the legal paper. The special committee should do its task with fair assessment.
The punitive measure, for the violation of ethical standards and judgment on someone’s life, should be stronger and stronger. This happens through realizing strong decision and judgment as well as legitimate manners.
BY MEHARI BEYENE
