South East breaking News
Expert calls for improved health seeking behaviour among doctors
Dr Carol Iwuoha, a Public Health Consultant of Abia State University Teaching Hospital(ABSUTH), has charged medical doctors to internalise the culture of appropriate health seeking behaviour.
Iwuoha gave the charge on Friday during the opening ceremony of the 8th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) of Federal Medical Center, Umuahia.
The theme of the event was “Let the Light shine from within: The doctor can also be a patient”.
She emphasised the need for medical practitioners to improve their health seeking behavior in order to provide care to the highest standard.
“I am not oblivious of the challenges that we have. I am saying that doctors should do their best in attending to their health and wellbeing by adopting the patient role in event of ill health.
“When a doctor presents to a fellow doctor as a patient, that doctor will be able to receive objective medical treatment to properly tackle the sickness,”Iwuoha said.
She expressed displeasure over the rate of poor drug compliance and poor dietary control among doctors, irrespective of the fact that they advice patients against such behaviours.
Iwuoha urged doctors to desist from concealing their health challenges as well as stop self-medication, adding that having a doctor and adhering to the doctor’s prescription was the best.
She said that this was a call on doctors to take their doctor-patients seriously and desist from assuming that the doctor-patients would be able to care for themselves.
In his address, Dr Robinson Ugwuanyi, the President of the Association, said that the recent events had made it necessary for doctors to be reminded about the need to imbibe good health seeking behaviour.
Ugwuanyi said that “the event and its theme couldn’t have come at a better time than now, when there seems to be a sudden death syndrome endemic among medical and dental practitioners,
“As a matter of fact National Association of Resident Doctors has lost 23 doctors since this year.”
In his speech, Dr Onyebuchi Azubuike, the Medical Director of FMC, Umuahia,said that the hospital management was committed to the welfare of resident doctors and was desiorous to maintain a healthy relationship with the association.
Azubuike, who was represented by Dr Ugochukwu Onyeonoro, appealed to the association to work with the hospital management to improve its services to the public.
In his remark, Dr Cajetan Okpara, the Chairman of the Occasion, commended the association for its efforts towards protecting the interest of resident doctors.
Okpara described the theme of the event as timely and promised to lend his support to any cause that will enhance the wellbeing of resident doctors.