Expectations and Consolidation

the dissatisfaction of practicing physicians related to remuneration and rank issues has caused too many of us to give up our effort to change the system or just simply quit to take on better job offers. again, i believe that part of the problem seeds in a stagnant administration which probably has a hard time relating to our responsibilities and cannot fully comprehend the entire training process we go through to attain our respective skills. its lack of drive has caused it to lag behind the current trends of our business. contiguous to the rise in healthcare costs lies an increase in the level of expertise thereby promoting competition and, by default, salaries.

also, it seems that our voices are not being heard. this likely is secondary to a lack of unity and perseverance. when too many groups exist within such a small system, the overall message is lost and advancement is slowed. this also relates to the different schools of thought, as reem points out, which may be a cause of discord. to unite the canadian, u.s., u.k., kuwaiti and other graduates, we must stop relying on experience to guide our practices. experience is a very dangerous tool and explains the huge variation in the quality of care provided in kuwait. it is only by encouraging an evidence-based approach to the practice of medicine that we will consolidate and optimize the quality of care.

raed justly addresses the public campaigns needed to expose the extent of the crisis. these could be in the form of television or radio advertisements, documentaries, debates. reem’s idea of gauging the people’s knowledge of the healthcare system and understanding their expectations through a comprehensive survey is key to defining a public campaign and rendering it more efficient. the distinction between the private and public sectors and how they interact is a fundamental aspect of such an undertaking as, with changing legislations and growth of the former sector, specialists seem eager to “jump the fence”.

BIOpsy: dermatology’s efforts must not go unnoticed

 

From a colleague in Kuwait:

“In Asad’s dermatology centre in Kuwait, we make protocols on how to manage diseases. Each’s assigned to a colleague. A draft’s reviewed by all the seniors, amended (evidence-based medicine), finalized, printed, added to the protocol CD, distributed to all physicians & posted on our web-site.”