It was ignited a couple of weeks ago as a minor incident in the regional towns: first in Jimma followed by Assela ; then after it spread to other several cities through a domino effect and swiftly reached Addis , hitting the national news headlines and making hot topic in the social media.
The white gown affair did not stop there. It continued with knocking at the Ministry of Health and finally at the office of the Prime Minister.
Unlike his predecessors, the premier flung opened his office door without any ado, greeted in the angry health professionals and discussed with them at length on the difficult circumstances surrounding the health care system.
Basically, the problems in the health care as explained by the complaining professionals are not that much different from that of other professionals in the public service: inadequacy of facilities and material inputs, unfair management, policy bottlenecks, uncomfortable work environment, lack of satisfactory incentives and benefits as well as budget constraints to deploy the required number of staff and so on All these list of problems may be expected in the health care system of a developing country like ours.
However ,it would sound strange to hear some media report saying there are considerable number of unemployed fresh graduate doctors in the country, whose doctors density is almost zero (0.025) doctors per thousand population. This figure is one of the lowest in the world, even lower than that of the neighboring Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, and Eritrea.
In another twist, this above mentioned figure would not after all be surprising, should we look in to the study report conducted recently on a graduating class of medicine students. The study finding confirms that almost 60% percent of the students see themselves working abroad in 5 year’s time, in search of better pay and opportunities for advancing their career. It shows the number of Ethiopian medical practitioners in Chicago alone exceeds all practitioners here put all together.
They do not appear to have an iota of moral burden and obligation to serve the desperate society that gave them the opportunity to be who they are .
More over the accessibility of quality health care service to the majority of the population leaves a lot to be desired. In another words the quality gap of health services for the haves and have nots is widening. The system of checking the competency of diagnostic medical laboratories is yet in its infancy .Counterfeit drugs are rampant.
The premier has been quoted by the media saying the health care system is among the top priorities of his government, and that the government has undertaken practical reform measures and would continue doing so. These words provide us with hope to have optimistic look in to the future.
All in all , as things stand now, It suffices to say that our health system is heading for a major crisis, if not already in one .The issue of health is tantamount to the issue of survival and security. The government has to squarely face the lofty task of revitalizing the health system in general, and curbing the drain of healthcare professionals in particular.
And on a last note,the Ministry of Health should try posting on the office door its doctors the famous words of the former US president, JFK:”Ask not what your country can do for you ,rather ask what you can do for your country.”
The Ethiopian Herald May 12/2011
