As an undergraduate, I used to feel embarrassed that my mum visited me every single month, without fail.
Every second Saturday.
It felt like secondary school all over again.
She'd leave home. Travel two hours. Wait for me for a few minutes at the bus stop and I'd be late, forming busy.
Every single month.
She complained to my brother and he said she was "spoiling me"(Sorry Daddy Dee), but she never stopped coming.
I stopped feeling embarrassed in 400 level.
That year, I couldn't travel home for Christmas because of exams and it happened to be the period we always celebrated Dad's birthday together as a family.
That was his 60th.
So they all travelled down instead.
My whole family, celebrating my dad's 60th birthday in my tiny room on campus.
That was the moment it dawned on me: this was never something to be embarrassed about.
It was something to be proud of.
I truly couldn't have asked for a better family.
These people were handpicked for me.
Thank you for loving me so well. I don't take it for granted. ❤️
Who or what are you especially grateful for today?
#15DaysOfGratitudeChallenge #GratefulHeart #Family #DiaryOfAFemaleSurgicalResident
Suddenly, it becomes common knowledge when it comes to healthcare.
But when it comes to your millions, you are told to consult a lawyer with your consultation fee, hire a financial expert, and visit the bank with your tail between your legs if you have a problem with your money.
However, when a doctor asks for a consultation fee before seeing you, or you are told to open a folder at the hospital, or to follow the standard procedure, you are suddenly reminded that "no one forced you to study medicine or nursing and it’s your work, do it!."
That same opinion would never be raised against a lawyer, an engineer, a banker, or even a police officer.
Everyone suddenly has a voice and knows what’s best when it comes to the rights and welfare of healthcare workers. Everyone can take pride in what they do except doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other HCWs.
It’s stinking hypocrisy, and an even more insane way to argue.
You studied, I studied. You are proud of what you became, but I can’t be. You can make money and aspire to excel, but when I do, I’m called egoistic and accused of forcing it down your throat.
eti sinwin mehn!!
… my CCT in the mail a few days ago and now on the speciality register!
6yrs of medical school (MBBS)
1yr of housemanship
1yr of NYSC
MSc in Psychology
GMPsS
3yrs Core Psychiatry Training
MRCPsych
6 months General Adult Psychiatry Training
3yrs Forensic Psychiatry Training
We really need to retire the habit of medics being condescending to patients online about healthcare-seeking behaviours, then instantly retreating to "it's just a joke" when they react. Clinical logic & triage protocols are essentially a foreign language to the general public; expecting them to perfectly navigate acuity is completely unreasonable.
There's a massive misconception that this is uniquely a Nigerian HMO issue. Even in the most heavily funded, advanced Western healthcare systems, non-urgent use of medical facilities is a constant, billion-dollar logistical challenge. It's a universal human behaviour, not some flaw in Akure.
The way to actually address resource strain is through systemic engagement: pushing hospital management for better triage pathways, renegotiating HMO structures, & driving public health education. Publicly humiliating paying adults does absolutely nothing to fix the infrastructure. What were you expecting?
Ultimately, the people walking through those doors are our colleagues, our neighbours, and our own relatives. If we want to improve medical literacy and properly manage resources, the biweekly HMO humiliation ritual is the last thing that will ever work. You also pay for services that you may be "misusing"; how do you want them to communicate this to you?