A long time ago, I came across this quotation attributed to Sir Humphrey Davy Rolleston, a physician to King George V: “Medicine is a noble profession but a damned bad business.” I am not sure about the context he said that, but at least it rings true for the doctors in Sudan, if at the whole of Africa! Let me explain.
Doctors are poorly paid in Sudan. It has been like that for ages. When I started my work as a junior in early 2000, man we were paid pittance! Our colleagues in the other fields used to laugh at us. And we felt real bad. After spending more than six ears in the university, no one appreciates your work!
You know what, they always say medicine is a humanitarian service, noble etc. However, they forget hat even doctors need to eat, dress, rent houses, feed dependents, transport themselves and get married! How can one be in the same society and be excluded from other basic needs? Another wrong concept is that you can supplement that by opening a clinic! When other people are resting and talking to with their families, you are runing back to the private clinic!
The attitude of our guys in the ministry of health these days is still the same. They forget that the doctor need to be cared for like they care for other professionals. I know now why many decide to serve outside government service just to survive.
The government need to re-structure the salaries of doctors, support them in all ways possible. When he is not cared for, it will definitely affect his professional work, when he becomes divided between looking after his patients and running around in the market in search of money! This is suppose to be secondary. Our patients come first.
It may not be true for many doctors, who have abandoned government service, gone “full” private in their big clinics to make big money. The little ones hanging around in the hospital OPD are the losers . . . It certainly makes medicine bad for business.
I will tell you next time why I decide to go “private” . . .
Your post was very true yet hilarious!
The new trend in K-town now is opening a hospital! Did u see how many new pvt hospitals are there now?
Mabye you can work at one of them, I heard they pay well.
Do they?
Comment by kizzie — July 31, 2007 @ 9:45 pm
That is true Kizzie. Khartoum is having a boom in private hospitals.Most of these hospitals are being build with money from outside. During my training years, they were not that much.
The pay, I guess it pays well as long as you abandon any other activities in order to run from hospital to hospital. It is a bad phenomenon. Khartoum is no longer for me. Juba is still a virgin in this field. There are loads of money to be made in private health sector if one gets the backing. Maybe you will fund such a project for me?
Comment by Dr. K. K. — July 31, 2007 @ 10:59 pm
Dr. K.K.
sorry for the late reply, I’m a broke student with a well-off father:)
Comment by kizzie — August 13, 2007 @ 10:31 pm