Yaks✌✌

Medical Doctor||Philanthropist||Churchboy||Mental Health Activist||

[Dr Mohammad Usman Suleiman @mohagirei]

UPDATE TO ALL MEMBERS ON WORK HOUR REGULATION (AND EXCESS WORKLOAD)

Good evening Distinguished NARDITES!

The leadership of NARD ably led by the Strategic P-MUS (Garkuwan Matasan Arewa), is pleased to update all members on a significant development arising from the deliberations of the FMoHSW Ministerial Committee on Work Hour Regulation and Casualization of Doctors.

Following extensive engagements and a comprehensive nationwide situational assessment involving 6,350 healthcare personnel across the six geopolitical zones, the Committee has developed a National Policy on Work Hour Regulation for Health Institutions in Nigeria.

The findings clearly demonstrated the urgent need to address excessive work hours, burnout, fatigue, inadequate rest, and the associated risks to healthcare workers and patient safety.

NEWLY RECOMMENDED WORK HOUR GUIDELINES

The following key provisions have been recommended under the new framework:

1. Maximum Weekly Work Hours:
Healthcare personnel shall work a maximum of 48 hours per week, including weekends. Any authorized excess hours shall be appropriately compensated.

2. Maximum Shift Duration:

- Day shift: 8 hours maximum

- Afternoon shift: 6 hours maximum

- Extended shifts exceeding 12 hours shall be limited to emergency situations only.

- All authorized excess hours must be adequately compensated.

3. Maximum Call Duty:

- A maximum of two call duties per week, including weekend calls.

- Calls must be equitably distributed among eligible personnel.

- A maximum of one weekend call per month.

4. Maximum Consecutive Duty Period:
There shall be an absolute maximum of 24 continuous hours of duty, inclusive of call duty.

5. Mandatory Rest Periods:

- A minimum of 12 hours between regular shifts.

- Mandatory 24-hour post-call rest following weekday calls, Saturday calls, Sunday calls, and public holiday calls.

6. Mandatory Break During Duty:
A minimum one-hour break after six hours of continuous work, including shift and call duties, shall be provided. Breaks should be appropriately staggered to ensure uninterrupted patient care.

7. Equitable On-Call Distribution:
Call duties shall not exceed two per week and one weekend call per month, with equitable distribution among eligible healthcare personnel.

8. Compensation for Excess Work Hours:
Authorized excess work hours must be properly documented and adequately compensated above the normal hourly rate, or appropriately balanced through structured time-off. This provision must not be abused by institutions.

9. Protected Research and Development Time:
Healthcare personnel in all institutions should have protected time for research and professional development, subject to approval by the appropriate National or Institutional Health Research and Ethics Committee.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

These recommendations are without prejudice to the stipulated maximum shift, call and rest durations, particularly in genuine emergency situations where patient safety and continuity of care may require exceptional arrangements.

We are pleased to inform all members that these recommended guidelines have been forwarded to all MDs/CMDs for implementation across all health institutions.

Hospital Managements and Heads of Departments are expected to take appropriate steps towards full compliance of these guidelines.

We strongly encourage all Centre Leaderships to engage their respective Managements and follow up on the implementation of these guidelines.

Members are encouraged to remain vigilant, document cases of non-compliance and channel legitimate concerns through their center leadership for necessary action by NARD.

We await the release of the second document addressing casualization and abusive locum appointments soon.

[Adeolu needs to catch a break. @_deoluwaa]

The entire HMO conversation has just shown how pervasive health illiteracy is, how terrible our understanding of insurance system is, and the sheer disdain for healthcare workers.

And I don’t blame you people. The system that has made healthcare seem so charitable, and now it is bothering on entitlement. “You are being paid for it” No one is paying doctors call allowance for treating your rash during call hours. They should send you back home and ask you to come during work hours.

Saner climes with better doctor-to-patient ratios don’t run outpatient clinics 24/7. But you want to see a doctor at 8pm on Sunday for self-limiting runny nose that started on Wednesday because you want to shar use your HMO. Some of you are not even sick at all, Talmbout prevention is better than cure like that is what this is about.

And maybe you are different, and you are sincerely worried the runny nose will kill you before Monday, you are an outlier.

Drag me all you want, but every time you show up during call hours without being actually sick, you are wasting everybody’s time, constituting a nuisance, and exploiting the system.
The worst part, you have stressed out a system that would have stayed fresh for the next emergency.

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@BeautifulNGA @osazenoo @abba_auta This is Borno express (Terminus) flyover

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@Charleymed @bebe_idi @abouyarzeed @sylvie_moses @Zaddy_Abdul Hmm true, but the takehome salary for nursing degree is almost close to MLSct. and Pharms. They're employed as SNOs. While those with diplomas are NO. However, NOs' salaries are usually compared with MLTs, Pharm technicians, rad. technicians too. Maybe, thats how they designed it

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@bebe_idi @abouyarzeed @sylvie_moses @Charleymed @Zaddy_Abdul That's not an off na...
Ur off starts when you're done with those straight night shifts.

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@Zaddy_Abdul What you're saying is far from reality in Nigeria cos most HCPs are not getting a day off after every call shift. Nurses have a well organized structure in most hospitals, and their working conditions aren't too toxic. The only problem they have is their pay.

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@sylvie_moses @bebe_idi @Charleymed @Zaddy_Abdul You're not working in an ideal hospital setting then.... Your employer is to be blamed for that

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@AdekemiSaliu @Zaddy_Abdul No... the pay is not encouraging at all.

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@justkaren____ @Zaddy_Abdul Everybody is entitled to his/her opinion. Thank you...

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@onlinetalkateev @Charleymed @Zaddy_Abdul One can get up to 7 days off in a hospital with a good number of nurses. And i think this is a very good initiative

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@Charleymed @Zaddy_Abdul They do 3 shifts. They also have 5 and 7days off for evening and night shifts, respectively. But their work is stressful though

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@salamnuhu Congratulations chief

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@realbig_shak I'll be like; It will be better if u stay for a few more days, but if you insist on going then it is well... Besides, the hospital is not a prison na🥱

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@MaryRoseMalomo Hmmm.... A colleague with 275 had 2 resits in 100L, while those with less than 250 had 2 to 3 distinctions. What's the possible explanation?😅

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@Nigerian_Doctor ❤️

[Yaks✌✌ @Yaks_Deco]

@Nigerian_Doctor ❤️

[Oluwatimilehin 🧏 @whereisDSA]

How do you even expect people to stay back when they always have to fight for what they're due????

[Dr. Shadrack Johnson @dr_shaedee]

House officers are Doctors too