By Teshome Wolde
I understand you had a meeting with Ethiopian Woyanne Ambassador to United States to discuss about the establishment of {www:referral hospital} in Ethiopia. We would be very grateful if you can spend few minutes to elaborate the idea behind establishing a referral hospital. The following questions may only help guide your response.
In one of the world poorest country, Ethiopia, where the health care service already facing daunting challenges to deliver minimum standards of health care, what good is referral hospital doing? Is it referral hospital or regular health care facilities that will benefit the people of Ethiopia most?
When answering these questions think about what a health care specialist said: “referral hospitals should be seen as the {www:capstone} of the health care pyramid.” Do you guys think the pyramid (lower level healthcare facilities) is firmly established to hold the capstone?
I understand you guys can do whatever you want to do with your hard earned money. That is your absolute right. You have all the rights to establish a fancy referral hospital for the powerful and wealthy people of the country and save them a trip to Europe, United States, or Asia. Make good money too. If you are interested in elaborating your idea about your prospective investment, tells us what you are up-to. Implicitly or explicitly, saying “none of your business” is also your right.
The general view is that referral hospitals are often too costly and make very limited contributions to improving the health of the whole population. This is because referral hospitals are usually located in urban areas and are intended to provide costly specialized health care to patients referred from lower levels of the health care system. In a general sense, referral hospital is mainly to the wealthy.
If a referral hospital is established in our country, it does not take a telepathist to predict that the powerful government officials and wealthy urban dwellers would dominate the facilities for regular health care visits when they could be assisted by general practitioners at lower-level clinics. Poor people would not get the chance, because it would be congested with the powerful and wealthy unnecessarily occupying beds and other facilities for long periods.
The other concern associated with referral hospitals is a health care equity issue. Doctors may find it attractive and rewarding to work in referral hospitals, depriving rural health facilities of the expertise they desperately need.
That said, referral hospitals have positive impact on health care system when established at the right place and at the right time. For instance, beyond providing high quality health care, referral hospitals perform broader functions in the health system such as training doctors, conducting research.
(I can be reached at [email protected])
43 thoughts on “Questions to Dr Abinet et al”
Very good questions. I am almost certain these doctors are after making money. Referral hospital in Addis Ababa would be a lucrative business.
Tazabiw replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 1:04 PM
This message is to the author of the article.
Mr Teshome Wolde is probably a communist. In a free society, who would ask an investor what to do with their money? or does the author has a problem with doctors investing? what a hypocrat. you live in a democracy, you claim that there is no democracy in Ethiopia, and yet you want to ask people to do what is only acceptable to you. Open your mind man!
for. Intellectual replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 4:13 PM
Tazabiw
You are like insect you talk shit in every good article. but it is OK we know were you coming from.if no one told you they love you. we love you until you love your self…
Abbaa Biiftuu replies:
April 10th, 2012 at 9:07 PM
Tazabiw shut’front door moron
Anonymous replies:
April 8th, 2012 at 10:19 PM
What is wrong with making (not stealing) money????????
I am one of the doctors. It seems that you are a well informed gentleman. If you are a physician you can contact one of us directly. I, personally am willing and be glad to answer your question but not on this forum. This forum is not intended to intellectually discuss ideas.
J Ethiopiawe replies:
April 6th, 2012 at 11:30 PM
don’t come in this form if you have no respect for Ethiopian. so call Intellectual…..intellectual person would not make that comment. there for you have no intellect at all. rather you showed you arrogance like most little minded TPLF.
the person you just invited in this form is intellectually discussing ideas in ER.stupid moron..
Hirut replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 12:27 AM
Here you go, since you guys cannot put intelectul aidis you jump to an insult. The Dr. is right, this is not a forum that intelectuals can discuse but people like you are definitly belongs to it.
for. Intellectual replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 4:03 PM
Hirut,
Read it again with out saying you guys. bring your self down what ever high horses that your siting on. don’t come insult us pls.when you say you guys, what dos that say about your intellect dear Hirut….?
Anonymous replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 1:40 AM
You stupid Doctor want to be, go wash Meles’s feet and then kiss it. We are proud Ethiopians no one knows where you are from ,so get lost. “I am one of the doctors” I’m sure you don’t have a job and you must be using someone’s computer you Banda.
merara replies:
April 8th, 2012 at 3:13 AM
Hey guys,
how can this discussion forum invites intellectual people? You just know only insults and bad words. You have no novel idea, no civility. Intellectuals are not rude. Ethiopians are known by their good manner, for so long. Does this rudeness means our generation is getting too low and immature. God save us.
Anonymous replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 10:23 AM
How can the author contact you without knowing your address? See….this is what we are talking about. You guys are not thinking right. You just obtained you MD somehow from some institute. True docs are complete and accurate mostly.
Abbaa Biiftuu replies:
April 10th, 2012 at 9:12 PM
Anonymous hahahaha good job you bust him
Abeba replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 11:29 AM
If you are indeed a doctor and an intellectual, you just exposed yourself as imbecile. The truth is, IMO, that you really are neither. Teshome has left his email at the end of his article,if your intention was to contact him and if this forum is not for people with intellect like you, you could have written him. The problem is that you either didn’t read the article to the end or you are no doctor, and no intellectual.
This forum never claimed to be a forum for intellectuals. It is a forum for all Ethiopians and Ethiopian lovers. That includes ignorants like you. You could have used it.
Ethio replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 12:56 PM
It is decidedly wrong for medical professional who call he/she Ethiopian,and have observed the caste like system that is run by TPLF elits in the country to want to participate in the establishment of a government sponserd hospital.Educated Ethiopians must speak up for the down troden instead of armtwisting with the Etnofasicts for gain.
[Anonymous #2],you have a professionl and community obligation to speak your conscious instead requiring the writere to contact you personally.You said,
“If you are a physician you can contact one of us directly.” Are you sure you are not using this forum to recruit another contrbuting physcian for the referal hospital? just wondering.
Wahid replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 4:07 PM
Anonymous if you think you are an intellectual and one of those who accepts the offer given by the most wanted criminal group of our times ,you only proved me and the other Ethiopians very wrong , and secondly your comment with a pen name annonymus only shows that you are a doctor suffering a self confidence to say the least and as i heard you had your meeting secretly shows the ones who offer you this chance is not other when it comes to confidence ,so Dr tell me how can these great nation can go on with your likes and your bosses that does not represent not even 2% of the 80 million peoples that can make you not less responsible than your enablers and for the time i wish you good luck,and still puts your intellect in a big question,and as for me what fits you best is woyanne embassy with full of dedebit illitrates.
Dear Anonymous:
Do you think you are intellectual? Being a physician doesn’t makes you an intellectual. Having a plate MuDr. makes you a trained person on that particular field of study. If you were an intellectual you could have keep the oath you made.
Collaborating with TPLF shows your intellectual level how low it is. please remember from where you come from.
regard
Daniel
Readers,this referal hospital is not intended to sreve citizens in remote areas or to address community needs;neither it is intended to serve the community at large.The main and the only purpose of this referal hospital needed at this time is to take care of the health of the men and women in the ruling junta and people surrounding the system.
Take for instance,the General in the Hiwhat defense establishment,if he is sick or needs better medical care,of course,Zinawi can send him to Kenya or Suaudi or India for treatment;money is not a problem;however,let alone the mafias on the top,Zinawi himself is not comfortable enogh to go aborad and gets treatment;therefore,the system needs a referal hospital that the men and women of Zinawi to get medical attention so that the system will sustain last.
Fact replies:
April 7th, 2012 at 4:50 PM
Who is going to benefit from this hospital?? HHebet
“referral hospitals should be seen as the capstone of the health care pyramid.” Do you guys think the pyramid (lower level healthcare facilities) is firmly established to hold the capstone?”Teshome Wolde
‘referral hospitals have positive impact on health care system when established at the right place and at the right time. For instance, beyond providing high quality health care, referral hospitals perform broader functions in the health system such as training doctors, conducting research.’Teshome Wold
“The main and the only purpose of this referal hospital needed at this time is to take care of the health of the men and women in the ruling junta and people surrounding the system.” owkatu
“Zinawi himself is not comfortable enogh to go aborad and gets treatment;therefore,the system needs a referal hospital that the men and women of Zinawi to get medical attention so that the system will sustain last.” owkatu
‘ i would like to advise them to build local health care in country side, villages and remote area of Ethiopia. This will make you to be remembered for ever in Ethiopian history.’HHebet
Teshome raised the burning question of the national problem and addressed the issue for discussion. The comment made by HHebet and owkatu is in the right direction and timely.
How can we change and/or help” The failed healthcare system in Ethiopia and be a part of it?”. The 99.9% of the population have meager health services which we all know. The question is can we formulate a process and/or a non profit organization that the sole purpose would be to help the clinics in the village and establish new ones.
Don’t get me wrong that Meles and his cronies will turn every stone but in the long term we will overcome given our strong determination and dedication to the suffering majority.We have to convince the medical field expertise to take the major role to achieve the goal.
we have no right to condemn and/or oppose the right of the person to make choice based on their consciousnesses.
The main aim of the meeting with doctors are to give them some sort of honey coated poison in order to stop from criticizing the government regarding the failed healthcare system in Ethiopia. The failed healthcare system in Ethiopia designed by the wyanne regime to suffer and humiliate the people of Ethiopia and to extend his time in power. If these doctors are invested in Ethiopia to build referral hospital all the coast will be covered by the government in order to silent these doctors from talking or writing regarding the current healthcare system. as the above comment mentioned who is going to benefit from this hospital?? The poor people who does not have even a health care in his area. if these doctors really care about the people who suffering under the current regime, i would like to advise them to build local health care in country side, villages and remote area of Ethiopia. This will make you to be remembered for ever in Ethiopian history. Finally please think and look properly for injecting or taking the invisible poison of wyanne and then kill your people already in the get of death.
Wyane elites have already finished their natural resistance to disease (most of them are out of the productive and beyond the pension age and get tired of traveling to S. Africa every now and then for every small health problem. As their blood presser extremely high, they can not fly at high altitude any longer. That’s why now weyene junta elites remember those Ethiopian physicians who they once forced them to flee the country and these days around weyene in need of them to establish referral hospital. Good for nothing.
To sum up, I would like to thank Teshome Welede for the article and sound argument.
The khat and alcohol addicted TPLF politbureau would find this type of hospital most useful, and would save them expensive trips to US or China.
This is not a question dammy !
#2Anonymous,
From reading your arrogant comment, I can see that you’re one of those TPLF who don’t even have a GED, let alone MD and the typical TPLF who hates Elias and the rest of Ethiopians.
My Ethiopian brothers! what a dysfunctional family. When someone plans to do anything, those feudals who paralyze the country for far too long have the audacity to call names and oppose. This is particularly interesting coming from people who lives in democracies. The elementary principle in democracy is tolerance. They are still with their feudal and handicup mentality – for that matter they needs a doctor themselves before advising doctors what to do.
The doctors are doing the right thing and I am sure they will not be distracted by these good for nothing and life worthless scams who never acheived anything during their life except preaching hate, which eventually is consuming them alive
This is illogical.. let them built leave them alone
I hope the refferal hospital will not diverted to Adwa after they collect money.
This forum or not you [doctors !] must answer Ato Teshome Wolde’s questions. You have to. “This is not the forum” is not an excuse for not answering. How do you justify your actions, is the question here. Please answer.
If you do not and you cooperate with meles’s government then INS should deport you back to Ethiopia. If you are comfortable to work with Woyane that made Ethiopia a living hell for the people then you doctors should go back and join meles. What will happen to you when meles’s mafia empire collapses ? I think your actions are indefensible. If you say it is then the forum does not matter. Just put down your reason. Send a counter article. You are educated, aren’t you, doctors ?!
May I call you civil service college MDs ? I must differentiate you from the good doctors. There are many decent Ethiopian doctors here in the US that I am very proud of. Business investment is not equated to greed. If you are talking about investment, business is tied to ETHICS. meles and his mafia are beyond this. You might as well argue about doing business with a Mexican drug cartel. I want to hear your arguments doctors. How do you justify your actions ? Please respond to Ato Teshome.
I know Elias will never post my opinion. Any how Iwill try. Elias, I have a question for you and others. When do you think any Ethiopians who have the money and brain should invest to their beloved country? For how long should we stay away helping the troubled and poor society in Ethiopia? Should we stay till the death of the current government to invest in Ethiopia? It has been 20 years since I heared TPLF days are numbered. Unfortunately, they are still going because the oppositions hate politics, the same old tactics, the same old words , and nothing different than feeding the cancer to survive. To me, there is nothing wrong to invest in your country regardless who is in power. People invest during Haileselasie, Dergue. Were those governments stood for the people? Didn’t Dergue killed a lot of innocent people on the street and throw bodies on broad day light? Were intellectuals in Ethiopia sieze any studies/research because dergue killed and abuse human beings? In my opinion, anything done in our country help in the future. Because woyane is on power we do not need to stop doing things for our people. If I invest in my own country, I can hire people…that is help. To my knowledge, I don’t see any good government in Ethiopia. We don’t have to wait to invest back home till the perfect government comes. That is very foolish. The way I see the oppositions direction, I don’t think any good gov. will come to Ethiopia. If woyane build Abbay, they will not carry it and leave even if they separate from Ethiopia. Facist Italians built, they never take it to Italy. We still used it. Any government in Ethiopia contribute something regardless of repression. Next generation will use it for sure.
Anonymous replies:
April 8th, 2012 at 2:02 PM
Investment!!!
I see the problem isn’t the investment and investor. The underlining obstacle is with the benefit of the perspective of both sides of the table to the majority of the population. The key issue: there is no fundamental legal protection to encourage and promote investment in Ethiopia. We have to recognize this reality where investment is controlled directly and/or indirectly by head of the state through different mechanisms, so, the profit is channeled directly to them. The government tends to encourage and promote EPRDF supports to invest with legal protection. Thus the current investment environment isn’t conducive. This sounds unorthodox to you but I will invest when we all are protected by the law of the land.
Hakimu replies:
April 8th, 2012 at 3:23 PM
tezebet;
You brought up a good analogy…..”feeding the cancer to survive”. My dear woyane…fired 40 prominent professors from Addis Ababa University. Woyane killed 193+ Ethiopians on day light in he streets of Addis Ababa. Woyane made the decision to make Ethiopia landlocked. Woyane gave the western region of Ethiopia to the Sudan. Woyane arrested a number of free journalists and oppositions. Woyane murdered Professor Assrat Woldeyes. Woyane is displacing indigenous Ethiopians from their birth places and destroying the environment by allowing foreigners to operate unregulated large scale commercial farms. Do you know EFFORT, Woyane’s company, is a multi-billion dollar company? How do you think this happened in 20 years?
If you try to answer these questions, I am sure you will realize the cancer is woyane. In my opinion, when you invest under the guidance of woyane, then you are feeding the cancer to survive.
My fellow Ethiopian, Ethiopians who paid for your education want your investment. Nod doubt about that. The question what kind of investment? Investment to help the cancer survive or investment the people of Ethiopian enjoy. As the article Ato Teshome wrote brilliantly indicated, who is your target when you plan a referral hospital in Ethiopia? Is it to create jobs for few Ethiopians or take care of the aging woyane officials? Aren’t you feeding the cancer?
Meyesaw replies:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Why did these so called Drs leave their country in the first place. If they could work and invest in Woyanes Ethiopia, they could have done it before they left the country. These Drs lied to the US immigration to get asylum in this country. If they want to kiss Meles’ @$$ why didn’t they stay at home and kiss his @$$ from nearby. My question is why do they try to kiss woyane’s @$$ from thausends of miles away with a remote control.
Good job Elias, Can you ask your source more about these doctors. I am sure your source, the doctor who left the group just before the meeting has more to tell. Good job Elias and et al.
tezebt,
The question is not to invest or not in Ethiopia. When an investment decision is made many factors are accounted for. The environment where you are investing for example. Are you doing it in a business conducive environment where there is a rule of law in general and where commercial agreements are respected and the integrity of business investments are honored. If you are doing it the shekie way (Al amudi)then you got it made. You have all the protection you need. Did you know that people are not sure about their real estate holdings in Addis Ababa. You did you not hear about the land lease. if your not following up what is going on you are not ready to make business decisions. I suggest you go to the civil service college. Not making a career decision for you ! Just a suggestion.
Next, is it ethical and socially responsible is the other factor. Simply question if you are doing business to make profit and at the same time make the effort to up lift the social life of the people where your business operates. This is what Ato Teshome questioned. You are free to make your il-advised business decision. You can go ahead and submit to the hate mongers. But do not say you are making your business decision to benefit the Ethiopian people. Please watch what you say. Know that Woyane has out done both the monarchy and the derge in atrocity, destruction, despair and misery of our country men. Woyane will go away. As soon as the world power find it is expendable, it will cruble in days, months. The Ethiopian people are not waiting for outside forces to make social changes for them for they are destroying woyane day by day. So dear investor do not get cought in the cross fire.
Guys guys , doctors doing right . They could have just continued living and enjoying their fat salary abroad . What is wrong in re- directing their time , commitment and money home ? For their critics what do you make of the cardiac referral hospital established in Black Lion ? Ethiopia’s health care problem vast and systemic … referral , grass root , urban, rural , public , private all inputs will certainly chip off some of the problems ! Docs ps don’t stop !
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients (tertiary care). Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of most accredited quality standard listings. For example, it has been near the top of the US News and World Report List of Best Hospitals for more than 20 years. The practice is distinguished by integrated care, and a strong research presence is evidenced by the fact that over 40% of its resources are devoted towards research (rather than just medical practice). Mayo Clinic has been on the list of America’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” published by Fortune magazine for eight years in a row. From its humble beginnings as a family venture between a father and his two sons, the practice later became America’s first integrated group practice, a model that is now standard in the United States. The current-day Mayo Clinic is an integrated practice of more than 3,700 physicians and scientists, and a total employment including nurses, students, and allied health staff of more than 56,000 persons. Core values As is evidenced by the Mayo Clinic logo, the institution has a three part focus. First and primary to the organization is the patient care practice, represented by the central shield. This is in accordance with the primary statement of the organization that “the needs of the patient always come first.” The other two shields represent the areas of education and research, two areas of Mayo Clinic which have become more prominent over time. Patient care Each year, more than one million patients from all 50 states and from more than 150 countries are seen at one of the Mayo Clinic facilities. Mayo Clinic offers highly specialistic medical care, and a large portion of the patient population is referrals from smaller clinics and hospitals from across the upper Midwest and the United States as a whole. Mayo Clinic physicians are paid a fixed salary that is not linked to patient volume (relative value units) or income from fee-for-service payments. This practice is thought to decrease the monetary motivation to see patients in large numbers and increase the incentive to spend more time with individuals. Salaries are determined by the marketplace salaries for physicians in comparable large group practices. Research Mayo Clinic researchers contribute to the understanding of disease processes, best clinical practices, and translation of findings from the laboratory to the clinical practice. Nearly 400 doctoral level physicians and research scientists are employed, with an additional 2,800 allied health personnel and students with appointments in research.[4] In 2010, more than 2,300 research protocols were reviewed by the Mayo Clinic Institutional review board and 8,000 ongoing human research studies. These research initiatives led to more than 5,000 research publications and review articles in peer-review journals.Education Drs. William and Charles Mayo were proponents of education since very early in the history of Mayo Clinic. In 1917, they helped found and develop the medical school at the University of Minnesota with a two million dollar donation. Until the early 1970s, consulting physicians at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota held joint appointments as professors at the University of Minnesota medical school. The Mayo Clinic was a pioneer in helping to establish the current residency education system. In 1972, Mayo Clinic opened the doors of its own medical school (Mayo Medical School) in Rochester, which is reknown for its contributions the medical field. – Wikipedia
Hakimu,
Woyane was a small tumor until so many non-functional oppostions groups fell under TPLF poisinous strategy and help them to grow to be a cancer. Look at all these ‘Liberation Fronts,” look at all kinds of oppositions fighting each other instead of united for a common cause, look at them telling us the same thing again and again about Ethiopia people where a specific ethnic group comes from and lecture us a twisted history from time to time. I really have so much appreciation for those oppositions who fight woyane neck to neck back home and sacrifies their life in jail. I do not have any respect for those opportunistic opposition leaders who beg for mercy and come to United States and tell us they fight woyane(this doesn’t include Birtukan..she is a hero) To me investing in a such poor country is not a bad idea. All these countries you see are not landed to democracy, good governance, human rights laws, buisiness regulations, and so on without sacrifies or overnite. There were abuses, human right violations, corruption and so on…but people still invest. Yuo know why? they know one day will be better, one day they will have good system and things will better. I think it’s up to the individual to invest back home. No one have the right to tell somebody not to invest. I do not agree people to lable me as a woyane if I invest in Ethiopia. That is so foolish. It doesn’t make me woyane to invest in my own country and help people to get a job, to feed the family. That is where we start for better future of to people. We don’t wait till woyane disappear. Let let investors do their thing, let Doctors do their thing, let teachers and researchers do their thing, and at the same time let the politiciand unite as Ethiopia liberators and do their thing. Everything should not be suspended because of woyane.
If these Doctors are wlling to serve the regime known for its committing varieties of crimes including stealing $11 billion dollar,that means,these men must have been saying to themselves tacitly,the,what is there for me?
Like many other professionals were fooled and deceived in the past by the mafia groups and went over to the regime and found nothing substantial benefit for the country and left the regime for good,these ones too will for sure come back where they used to enjoy justice and giving back to the society.This organized migration of a some-twenty individuals has been carefully planned by the regime’s agents and spies who pretended to be the take care of Ethiopia and agents of democracy with further plan and scheme to fool other professionals into the desired outcome they wanted.When the mafia group does one thing or plans to do one thing,first and foremost,to greately benefit the mafia group shortterm and longterm interests with the greatest stake of monitory and political benefits,and whatever is left over,that little or nothing will go to the rest.Think before you step in the teritory of this mafia regime,it is a trap and a cheat.
Teshome, you have the preconceived idea that some how building a hospital for the rich people is wrong or bad deed. but how are you going to keep those rich people in ethiopia if you can not provide them with the kind of medical help they can afford. a poor country like ethiopia need every single individual with a capital to live and if possible invest to develop the nation and the least ethiopia can do is to make available for these people the treatment they can afford.
Investment is good….Investment is good…..Investment is good. Some people’s mind work in a strange way. NBODY SAID INVESTMENT IS BAD. What we are saying is investing in a corrupted and ramshackling government is the same as feeding cancer cells to survive.
If you choose to feed your cancer cells go ahead and have fun. The choice is yours and only yours……dammy!
Sammy replies:
April 12th, 2012 at 9:19 AM
Debteraw that is nice and very thoughtful of you,
but how many more years do you think we should wait before we as ethiopians invest in our country? obviously you think 20 years is not long enough and that has a lot to do with you not being affected. wait lets say we wait few years and weyane is over thrown, what makes you sure another Debtera down the road would not tell us the same thing you are telling us now 10-20 years from now ..and on and on and on…do you people understand at all??
Jegnaw Ethiopiawe replies:
April 12th, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Sammy,
“how many more years we should wait before we as Ethiopian invest in our country?”
Well you can start investing in getting read of the banda TPLF.i think that is the biggest investment.investing on 85 million Ethiopian that you cant loos.
These people are diaspora investors who are interested in profit like any other investor but care less for Ethiopians whether they are dying of disease or from fascist Meles bullet. If they are really concerned Ethiopians now is the time to talk how to free Ethiopia from fascism but not investment/looting. Say no to Tigrean economic, political and military dominance.
When Meles/Azeb take over their investment they will return to diaspora and cry that they are of oppositions like the other hodam Dr Fisseha Eshetu of Unity University.
Meles/Woyane told us openly and several years ago that their aim is to disintegrate Ethiopia and build greater Tigrai and how on earth a real concerned Ethiopian think of working with these fascists/invaders.