I love psychiatry and it shows.It gives me a wider way of viewing things as against the parochial ways that I see people view things around me.That is what happened to me about 30minutes ago when on reaching home from church I browsed through a copy of this day magazine on Sunday that I bought on my way home.My usual practice is to browse the paper and then settle to read the whole paper through.However I had to immediately read a piece that is titled "IBB's Theory on Guinea".
Now IBB is the former military dictator who ruled Nigeria between 1985 and 1993.He was reputed to have organized the freest and fairest election in the history of Nigeria.But incidentally he also annulled the same election! Moreover, he came into power by staging a palace coup against the same military government in which he was the chief of Army Staff. In the course of his rule, he executed his childhood friend Mamman Vatsa for staging a coup against his government, because it is treason to stage a coup against a sitting government. One question I have always asked is this; Is the truth relative? Is right or wrong relative? Is there no right or wrong or does the concept of right or wrong depend on who is interpreting it? If a Mamman Vatsa was executed for conducting a coup, why is an Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida not executed for conducting a coup.Simple, he succeeded! However, let us face it, if I steal and was not caught but later found out it still makes me a thief.If I murder somebody and was not found out immediately and I was found out 5 years later, it still makes me a murderer. Babangida was a coup plotter,though he succeeded, that does not mean he is innocent. No, he was involved in treason and should be tried for treasonable felony. The sane goes for all that were involved in coup in the past, like Muhammad Buhari.
Why am I suddenly bringing up this line of thinking. It is because of what I read in the piece titled "IBB's Theory on Guinea".According to the article, Babangida says the military takeover in Guinea was a fitting and patriotic step to save a dangerous polarised country. Can you imagine? To Babangida's mind, the concept of right or wrong does not exist but anybody can leave his constitutional role and dabble into strange terrain all in the name of patriotism. He believes that a soldier that has the constitutional role of protecting the territorial integrity of a country can turn round and topple the government of the same country in the name of patriotism. He is inclined towards a master corrective role for the military on the political stage.He went against the constitution, got away with it and then canvasing that others should go against the law and the collective will of the people. The reason is very simple. His judgement was poor, was poor throughout his rule and still remains poor. He can openly say such folly because he was not tried for treason, and still enjoys the status of an ex-ruler being paid the tax payers' money and enjoying the highest honour of the land! If his government had been declared as illegal and an illegality by act of Parliament,he would have no audacity to make such outrageous pronouncement. At least, former president Olusegun Obasanjo received presidential pardon for a phantom coup before he could walk the streets freely and then went on to become a president.
So, for planning a coup, Babangida should be made to face the same treatment that he meted out to people who were caught planning a coup too. After all, Gideon Okar and co were also trying to save the country from the misrule of Babangida and his cohort who elevated corruption to an exalted position and institutionalized it.
So, judgement is an integral part of the mental state examination. It gives us an idea of the thinking of the individual. Over the years, Babangida as shown a lot of poor judgement, before, during and after government.Even in this days when military rule is widely condemned all over the world, he still maintains his poor judgement.One wonders why the Nigerian government will send such a person as representative in such an issue as the forceful takeover by the military in Guinea.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Assault On Doctors, A Disturbing Trend That Must Stop.
I am thinking of work again in the morning! I didn't go to work yesterday.
Truly I have been so taken up by some other projects that I am involved in that I have not been updating this blog regularly. You only have so much of 24hours in a day, so my recent project that involve seminar and workshop organizations and delivery as well as public/motivational speaking in the area of Personal development and Peak performance including Stress management have taken much of that. I am also involved in some wealth creation and e-business. Remember I am still Resident doctor as it were. Click here to see more of that.
However as the saying goes 'a river can never forget its source, otherwise it will dry'. I love medical practice itself , most especially psychiatry/mental health. It is a passion and a driving force. Once I start talking to a patient, I am taken up. I love the Psychiatric history because it fits my love for people and the natural desire to know people and help themas regards the mind. Where else do become vulnerable and therefore become trusting if not when they tell you intimate things about themselves most especially when you have won their confidence.
So why didn't I go to work yesterday. The Association Resident Doctors(ARD), JUTH Chapter called a warning strike which was to be on for every Tuesday until three weeks when it should be full blown if the demands are not met.
Do I hear you say not again?Before you jump into conclusions let me intimate you with what happened.
Thirteen days ago, a doctor was assaulted while on duty at the Casualty section of the hospital, doing his work as a servant of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The assailant also threatened to to get the doctor sacked brandishing the name of the Chief Medical Director, and even threatened to have him dealt with anywhere within Jos. As it turned out to be, he is a son-in-law to the former deputy governor of Plateau State, Chief Michael Botman and he set at intimidating everybody with that. He was alleged to have brought the corpse of his brother-in-law (Botman's son) who slumped at home and died on the way to the hospital.His accusation was that the particular doctor was discussing with a colleague of his and smiling when he is bereaved. As a matter of fact he assaulted another doctor whom he mistook for the assaulted doctor after depositing the corpse in the morgue.
Although the case was reported to the Hospital authorities who then reported to the Police, the assailant was not arrested until the strike declared as the family claimed they needed time to mourn their loss before releasing him for arrest! That in itself called for worry.However, the dead was buried on Friday and yet the assailant was not arrested until the warning strike!
ARD therefore had no option than to take action as it seemed things were being dragged and the right of doctors being trampled upon.As they say, an injustice to one is an injustice to all. It also seems that people are now in the habit of intimidating doctors at their duty post, not with the recent similar episode in Umuahia where a government official also assaulted a doctor.
The Association therefore demanded the following;
-An appropriate apology from the assailant.
-Immediate arrest and prosecution of the assailant.
-An undertaken by the assailant to guarantee the security of the assaulted doctor whom he threatened.
-The hospital management should also beef up security in the hospital.
As it were I received a text message for the president of the association saying that these demands have been met. There is therefore going to be a meeting by 8 am in the morning to these and review the decision of industrial action.
With the above, I hope people will know that they cannot just start assaulting doctors who go through a lot of sacrifice and pain to render service to humanity.
Truly I have been so taken up by some other projects that I am involved in that I have not been updating this blog regularly. You only have so much of 24hours in a day, so my recent project that involve seminar and workshop organizations and delivery as well as public/motivational speaking in the area of Personal development and Peak performance including Stress management have taken much of that. I am also involved in some wealth creation and e-business. Remember I am still Resident doctor as it were. Click here to see more of that.
However as the saying goes 'a river can never forget its source, otherwise it will dry'. I love medical practice itself , most especially psychiatry/mental health. It is a passion and a driving force. Once I start talking to a patient, I am taken up. I love the Psychiatric history because it fits my love for people and the natural desire to know people and help themas regards the mind. Where else do become vulnerable and therefore become trusting if not when they tell you intimate things about themselves most especially when you have won their confidence.
So why didn't I go to work yesterday. The Association Resident Doctors(ARD), JUTH Chapter called a warning strike which was to be on for every Tuesday until three weeks when it should be full blown if the demands are not met.
Do I hear you say not again?Before you jump into conclusions let me intimate you with what happened.
Thirteen days ago, a doctor was assaulted while on duty at the Casualty section of the hospital, doing his work as a servant of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The assailant also threatened to to get the doctor sacked brandishing the name of the Chief Medical Director, and even threatened to have him dealt with anywhere within Jos. As it turned out to be, he is a son-in-law to the former deputy governor of Plateau State, Chief Michael Botman and he set at intimidating everybody with that. He was alleged to have brought the corpse of his brother-in-law (Botman's son) who slumped at home and died on the way to the hospital.His accusation was that the particular doctor was discussing with a colleague of his and smiling when he is bereaved. As a matter of fact he assaulted another doctor whom he mistook for the assaulted doctor after depositing the corpse in the morgue.
Although the case was reported to the Hospital authorities who then reported to the Police, the assailant was not arrested until the strike declared as the family claimed they needed time to mourn their loss before releasing him for arrest! That in itself called for worry.However, the dead was buried on Friday and yet the assailant was not arrested until the warning strike!
ARD therefore had no option than to take action as it seemed things were being dragged and the right of doctors being trampled upon.As they say, an injustice to one is an injustice to all. It also seems that people are now in the habit of intimidating doctors at their duty post, not with the recent similar episode in Umuahia where a government official also assaulted a doctor.
The Association therefore demanded the following;
-An appropriate apology from the assailant.
-Immediate arrest and prosecution of the assailant.
-An undertaken by the assailant to guarantee the security of the assaulted doctor whom he threatened.
-The hospital management should also beef up security in the hospital.
As it were I received a text message for the president of the association saying that these demands have been met. There is therefore going to be a meeting by 8 am in the morning to these and review the decision of industrial action.
With the above, I hope people will know that they cannot just start assaulting doctors who go through a lot of sacrifice and pain to render service to humanity.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Children's Day; Ensuring a better nation through development of our children.
In Nigeria,Chilren's day is usually celebrated today 27th May annually.This started in the year 1979 which was the International year of the child as proclaimed by the United Nations.Although we know that the International Children's Day originated in Turkey(April 23,1920)and later in the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva,Switzerland in 1925.It is usually celebrated on June 1 in Turkey and many communist countries,but many countries have their own different days of celebration.
About 19 years ago,I was in the hospital on this day when my colleagues were on the field marching and engaged in inter-school 100m dash and relay competitions.It was in commomeration of the annual Children's day as we call the International Day of the Child locally.Of course,we always look forward to this day with excitement as it affords us an holiday and funfare of the celebration at the Township stadium(in which each school strive to outperform the other).We seem to believe in those days that all there is to the Children's day was the March past and the athletic competition!
Today I am an adult.I don't have an holiday today as I used to in those days.However,the concern that I have these days whenever today comes annually is not in any way a reflection of celebration.It seems to me that the world is getting worse and with increasing hostilities and disregard for the welfare and dignity of children.
First and foremost,there is the menace of child trafficking that has become so rampant in our society to the point that it no longer evoke the right emotion of disgust and concern that it should.It is fast becoming a normal phenomenom in our national psyche.It has come to a point that parents more or less beg the perpetrators of these act to take their own children.This of course is a reflection of the spate of poverty in the land.One cannot imagine the effect of this vice on the overall mental psychic of the child.What with the issue of parental separation and deprivation with all the attendant effects.It is modern day slavery!
Closely related to child trafficking is the issue of child labour and prostitution.Of course,the main purpose of trafficking is to provide cheap labour and services.Many of these children are used as sex slaves in foreign lands which have damaging effect of their self esteem,social relations and mental health.There is an alarming increase in the number of children street trading which exposes them to the risk of accidents, rape, illicit drugs and their attendant sequele.
There is an increase in the number of orphans and vulnerable children in our society.What with the issue of HIV/AIDS that have created a lot of orphans in its wake.The security situation is also getting worse; we now hear of children who are kidnapped for ritual purposes and also for ramsome as it is becoming common in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.
With all the above,what kind of adults and future leaders do we intend to make out of our children in this generation and the next? What kind of followership do our leaders also expect ot get?It is high time that we demanded better living conditions and conducive environment for our children.Many of the vices that I have talked about above result directly and indirectly from poverty in the land.We should stop paying lip service to development but take the bull by the horn and muster the political will to improve our economy.
There have been many lofty and ambitious policies in the past which have not met the purpose for which they were conceived because there is no political will and politicians just believe in business as usual.
I believe in a better Nigeria.I believe that we are going to have emotionally stable children who are going to turn into self confident adult that will take this country out of the woods.I believe in Nigerian Children.
HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!
About 19 years ago,I was in the hospital on this day when my colleagues were on the field marching and engaged in inter-school 100m dash and relay competitions.It was in commomeration of the annual Children's day as we call the International Day of the Child locally.Of course,we always look forward to this day with excitement as it affords us an holiday and funfare of the celebration at the Township stadium(in which each school strive to outperform the other).We seem to believe in those days that all there is to the Children's day was the March past and the athletic competition!
Today I am an adult.I don't have an holiday today as I used to in those days.However,the concern that I have these days whenever today comes annually is not in any way a reflection of celebration.It seems to me that the world is getting worse and with increasing hostilities and disregard for the welfare and dignity of children.
First and foremost,there is the menace of child trafficking that has become so rampant in our society to the point that it no longer evoke the right emotion of disgust and concern that it should.It is fast becoming a normal phenomenom in our national psyche.It has come to a point that parents more or less beg the perpetrators of these act to take their own children.This of course is a reflection of the spate of poverty in the land.One cannot imagine the effect of this vice on the overall mental psychic of the child.What with the issue of parental separation and deprivation with all the attendant effects.It is modern day slavery!
Closely related to child trafficking is the issue of child labour and prostitution.Of course,the main purpose of trafficking is to provide cheap labour and services.Many of these children are used as sex slaves in foreign lands which have damaging effect of their self esteem,social relations and mental health.There is an alarming increase in the number of children street trading which exposes them to the risk of accidents, rape, illicit drugs and their attendant sequele.
There is an increase in the number of orphans and vulnerable children in our society.What with the issue of HIV/AIDS that have created a lot of orphans in its wake.The security situation is also getting worse; we now hear of children who are kidnapped for ritual purposes and also for ramsome as it is becoming common in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.
With all the above,what kind of adults and future leaders do we intend to make out of our children in this generation and the next? What kind of followership do our leaders also expect ot get?It is high time that we demanded better living conditions and conducive environment for our children.Many of the vices that I have talked about above result directly and indirectly from poverty in the land.We should stop paying lip service to development but take the bull by the horn and muster the political will to improve our economy.
There have been many lofty and ambitious policies in the past which have not met the purpose for which they were conceived because there is no political will and politicians just believe in business as usual.
I believe in a better Nigeria.I believe that we are going to have emotionally stable children who are going to turn into self confident adult that will take this country out of the woods.I believe in Nigerian Children.
HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
A vacation too eventful and simply too long.
About six weeks ago,I was so stressed up both physically but more of emotionally, that I had to take my annual leave.But as it is now,I will give anything to make sure that I resume work,but that is not something that I have control over right now.
I had applied for four weeks out of the possible six weeks annual leave,for which I proceeded on the 7th,April 2007.Before then,I was so stressed up emotionally that I could not do anything meaningful in terms of academics.In fact,it was as if reading and studying was anathema to me.By that I do not mean just academic books but also magazines,newspapers,motivational books etc.I guess it was not unconnected with the so called CONTISS salary structure and the inability of the management of my hospital to impliment it despite the fact that all other Federal Tertiary institutions have implimented same.I found it rather disturbing that in a civilized society,things like these could go on without being able to do anything abou it despite going as far as the National Assemble!Talk of losing faith in the system.Morever,I had moved from the Psychiatric Hospital Uselu after spending about 10 months without taking the annual leave for the year 2007.I was fargued out as it were.
Using the Holmes and Rahi life event scale,I had accumulated some good amount of points to qualify for a break down.I needed to just rest and take a break.
However,the leave period turned out to be rather very eventful.First,I got a call from an unexpected caller asking me to speak on Stress Management and HIV in the work place.This was at a workshop organized by a Management consulting outfit in conjunction with Nigeria Medical Association(N.M.A).It was an exciting time for me in the sense that I had the opportunity to talk on the relationship between stress and health and dwelt on the role of stress in mental illness most especially.
Moreover,I was able to give my wife a three-day holiday in Calabar while I was there for a speaking engagement!It was such a wonderful coincidence that I was invited to speak in Calabar when I had earlier promised to take her there on a visit.Of course,I gave her a treat and somebody else paid for the transportation and accommodation.
Have I mentioned that I was also in Benin to tie up issues on that end?Ranging from unpaid arrears at Psychiatric hospital Uselu(Though that have not been paid!),to accommodation issues,and other minor issues.
Just as I got back to Jos and rearing to go at full steam,I was plagued by that terrible accident that I mentioned in the last post.As a consequence of that accident,I presently have my right ankle in cast and as such I cannot resume back to work as I thought.Although I later found out that I was granted the full six weeks annual leave as against the four weeks that I applied for,yet even that have elapsed and I still cannot get back to work because of the sprain in the ankle.As it were,I am not even sure if the calceneous is not fractured as I have this pain whenever I step on it.At any rate I will have repeat x-ray before removing the cast next Wednesday.I sincerely hope that the repeat x-ray does not show a fracture as I cannot bear to continue to stay at home for so long a time because I am really fed up with being redundant!
Well I guess that I can say that this my leave is one that have been too eventful and extended.It is one leave too long.i am pray that it will end lest it becomes a source of stress to me too.
I had applied for four weeks out of the possible six weeks annual leave,for which I proceeded on the 7th,April 2007.Before then,I was so stressed up emotionally that I could not do anything meaningful in terms of academics.In fact,it was as if reading and studying was anathema to me.By that I do not mean just academic books but also magazines,newspapers,motivational books etc.I guess it was not unconnected with the so called CONTISS salary structure and the inability of the management of my hospital to impliment it despite the fact that all other Federal Tertiary institutions have implimented same.I found it rather disturbing that in a civilized society,things like these could go on without being able to do anything abou it despite going as far as the National Assemble!Talk of losing faith in the system.Morever,I had moved from the Psychiatric Hospital Uselu after spending about 10 months without taking the annual leave for the year 2007.I was fargued out as it were.
Using the Holmes and Rahi life event scale,I had accumulated some good amount of points to qualify for a break down.I needed to just rest and take a break.
However,the leave period turned out to be rather very eventful.First,I got a call from an unexpected caller asking me to speak on Stress Management and HIV in the work place.This was at a workshop organized by a Management consulting outfit in conjunction with Nigeria Medical Association(N.M.A).It was an exciting time for me in the sense that I had the opportunity to talk on the relationship between stress and health and dwelt on the role of stress in mental illness most especially.
Moreover,I was able to give my wife a three-day holiday in Calabar while I was there for a speaking engagement!It was such a wonderful coincidence that I was invited to speak in Calabar when I had earlier promised to take her there on a visit.Of course,I gave her a treat and somebody else paid for the transportation and accommodation.
Have I mentioned that I was also in Benin to tie up issues on that end?Ranging from unpaid arrears at Psychiatric hospital Uselu(Though that have not been paid!),to accommodation issues,and other minor issues.
Just as I got back to Jos and rearing to go at full steam,I was plagued by that terrible accident that I mentioned in the last post.As a consequence of that accident,I presently have my right ankle in cast and as such I cannot resume back to work as I thought.Although I later found out that I was granted the full six weeks annual leave as against the four weeks that I applied for,yet even that have elapsed and I still cannot get back to work because of the sprain in the ankle.As it were,I am not even sure if the calceneous is not fractured as I have this pain whenever I step on it.At any rate I will have repeat x-ray before removing the cast next Wednesday.I sincerely hope that the repeat x-ray does not show a fracture as I cannot bear to continue to stay at home for so long a time because I am really fed up with being redundant!
Well I guess that I can say that this my leave is one that have been too eventful and extended.It is one leave too long.i am pray that it will end lest it becomes a source of stress to me too.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
A Great Deliverance!
By a great deliverance was my wife and I delivered from death when we hit a concrete structure for electric poles in the middle of the road and the car somersaulted.
We were coming from communion service that fateful Sunday night 10 days ago.It has just stopped raining and the driving was made worse by the full headlights of vehicles from the opposite side of the road.Moreover the road is such that at certain points,the central divide enlarges into the road such that you have to bend awy from your straight drive to avoid crashing into the concrete structures made for street lights that are not there.As we were coming home that fateful day,I couldn't see this point on time and drove straight on and crashed into the concrete structure and the car did some somersault.
Thank God that we were both wearing seat belts,we would probably have been six feet below the ground by now.People were there to help and we were lucky to have known faces who took good care of us and took us to the hospital.I sustained a sprain in my right ankle that is in a cast and my wife sustained some bruises on the right arm.
The pictures tell the story!
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