Challenges of Clinical Leadership in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria like the rest of the world is facing a universal health work force 'crunch' that is epitomized by widespread shortages of medical practitioners in positions of authority and consultation, this variance have led to inadequate distribution of healthcare professionals between and within healthcare institutions with poor working conditions and paucity of information and knowledge on best practice due to poor management of the health sector by politicians instead of medical professionals who take care of patients and who holds the best interest of the patients they care for (Conference of African Ministers of Health, 2005). Trending in Nigeria is the conventional view that medical practitioners should look after patients, while administrators look after organizations. Yet several pioneering healthcare institutions have turned this assumption on its head and achieved outstanding performance in the UK and in central Europe. This can be replicated in Nigeria through the adoption of clinical leadership practices and the restructuring of the healthcare system in Nigeria, which has been characterized by strike actions from medical practioners.Clinical leadership still, has a long road to travel in its expansion in healthcare management. To achieve the best and most sustainable quality of care, however, a commitment to building high-performing organizations must complement traditional values. All the evidence suggests that patients will see the benefit.