What makes me happiest about my writing is the inspiration I have been to many people who call and tell me to mentor their loved ones – Dr Fatima Damagum
Our today’s interview features Dr. Fatima Damagum, MBBS, FWACP, consultant, Family physician, lifestyle and sexual health specialist, Aminu Kano teaching hospital, Kano Nigeria. She’s also an award-winning writer, a fiction enthusiast, and the columnist behind ‘A Physician’s Diary’ at the weekly trust Newspaper.
What is your name? Where and when were you born?
My name is Dr. Fatima Damagum. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria in September 1984. I attended nursery and primary school in Corona School, Ikoyi before proceeding to ADRAO secondary school. In 1995, my family moved to Kaduna, where I continued my education at Zamani College Kaduna. I eventually finished secondary school at FGGC Potiskum. From there, I went to the University of Maiduguri where I studied medicine.
I come from a largely academic background. Both my parents were well educated. My mother has a Ph.D. and both my uncles are doctors. Consequently, from an early age, I was encouraged to go into academics.
When did you start writing? How did you start? What is your inspiration? What are your challenges?
I can say that I started writing from a very early age. I am an avid reader. My maternal grandfather and mother loved to read and so I had a lot of books around me growing up. And like any reader, I imagined that I would one day write my book. Right from primary school, I used to write stories on the back of my school notes. My sister and I would read books and spend all day analyzing and discussing them. them was therefore of no surprise that I fell in love with Literature in secondary school.
My first choice was to study Mass communication and become a journalist, but my very Nigerian parents did not agree with me (LoL). I was advised to study Medicine instead.
During my days as a medical student, I continued to write feature articles and stories in our school magazine as time would permit. However, after medical school and for a very long time, I could not find time to write again as I was too busy with houhorsemanshipYSC, and residency. Moreover, I had gotten married and had children. During that time, my writing was limited to an e-journal that I keep, recording my life hoping that I may one day present it to my children.
After my residency program, I began to write opinion pieces for Daily Trust and was subsequently invited to be a guest columnist.
My inspiration comes from a fusion of my love of writing and the patients I come in contact with daily. I realized that every person has a story that we can learn from and so I decided to create my column titled ‘A Physician’s Diary’. So far, I have been writing for four years now and I am pleased to say that the encouragement and appreciation far outweigh the criticism. Many people from all walks of life have sent emails telling me their stories, their problems, and how my writing addresses some of their concerns. I have had people calling me and breaking down in tears because some of my stories resonated with theirs. But most of all, what makes me happiest about my writing is the inspiration I have been to many people who call and tell me to mentor their loved ones. Alhamdulillah for that.
My main challenge in this line of work is of course- the deadlines! So many times, I wake up on Thursday night sweating, and thinking about what I am going to write to meet the Friday deadline. It is very disconcerting. As you can imagine, it is not easy juggling clinical medicine, research, training resident doctors, and having a family. My children are so used to seeing me seated with a laptop on seated on a chair, doing work while helping them with their homework and attending to my husband. Multi-tasking is no easy feat, I tell you. Many days I go to sleep with a massive headache. Such is life.
You are knowledgeable in different aspects of our lives, from sports, entertainment, current affairs, politics, etc. What’s the secret to this multitasking? Being a mother and wife is tasking as well. Who is your support system?
There is no secret formula to being knowledgeable. I just like to read. Period. I read fiction, poetry, music, sports, politics, everything. I love to know a little bit about everything. I have always had a burning curiosity to know more about people and subjects. I suppose that is why I went into family medicine.
Generally, women are born with the ability to multi-task. That is why a woman can have ten children and know all about them, including their friends, whereas Men are usually more focused because they do one thing at a time.
My support system is my family and domestic staff. I realized a long time ago that I had to delegate some responsibilities to my household staff.
Having reliable staff is gold. This reduces the stress of household chores, and I can concentrate on the more important things.
What’s the secret to writing beautifully and consistently? Is writing a gift from God or do you think one can develop the skill?
Writing for me is a hobby that I enjoy with all my heart. It is therapeutic; to put into words all the things floating in my head is a gift I am immensely grateful for. However, like most skills, it can be taught and honed. The most important thing is to enjoy it. Like Oprah said: the most successful people are those who love what they do.
We understand that studying medicine is the hardest course in Nigeria. Perhaps that is why we have few doctors in the country. What worked for you in medical college? Any words of advice and courage for medical students and aspiring doctors?
I don’t think Medicine is the hardest course to study, but it is certainly the most demanding. The courses in medicine are too many and very bulky, hence the constant studying. Additionally, the pass mark is very high, because we are dealing with human lives. There is no shortcut in medicine, you just have to study very hard. Anyone can study medicine, one just has to have the discipline to be able to read for long hours.
There’s a huge brain drain in the medical sector. Medical practitioners are ‘Japaing’, to Saudi, the Uk, and other countries in search of greener pastures. Do you think what they are doing is fair? These doctors were trained by the Nigerian Government with taxpayers’ money to study medicine, yet they leave the country to serve others. In this regard, the House of Representatives made a move to commence the amendment of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act to stop the migration of Nigerian-trained medical practitioners so that they give back to society. However, The Federal Government kicked against the bill in response to the threat of doctors going on a five-day warning strike. What do you think should be done in the best interest of the masses, and the medical practitioners to reduce this exodus to a minimum?
First, let me correct a misleading notion. The government keeps saying Nigeria’s education is ‘subsidized’, that we were trained ‘for free’. The idea that Nigerian-trained medical doctors received heavily subsidized education is a misleading notion. My family paid for my tuition out of pocket. All doctors in Nigeria paid for their tuition. Tuition has remained part of the fees paid by every medical student, and it is usually higher than that of non-medical students in most universities in Nigeria. The fact it is cheaper relative to other countries does make it ‘subsidized’, as every graduate who is lucky to get gainfully employed afterward will pay back by earning salaries far lower than their peers in developed countries.
Secondly, the migration of healthcare workers to other countries is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, Nigeria has been exporting doctors and nurses to the UK, the U, S, and Saudi Arabia for a very long time. The common misconception that the Nigerian government has is that Nigerian doctors are greedy. That we are being paid well but our ‘longer-throat’ will not allow us to be content.
The truth is, a vast majority of us would rather not leave the country. Why would we want to leave the comfort of our families and communities where we are seen as ‘mini gods’ to slave away in a faraway land? Why would a consultant or Head of Department leave his place of work to practice as a medical officer in a cold country like Canada?
Some of the reasons for the migration of doctors are poor remuneration, irregular pay, lack of insurance benefits to families of doctors who die in the course of work, ill-equipped health facilities, poor job satisfaction, and security challenges. and workplace violence.
Thirdly, what the bill wants to do, is criminal. It violates the human right to freedom of movement and wrongly assumes that it is only young graduates who are emigrating. What about the consultants? When a cardiologist leaves the country, is it a fresh graduate that they have held back that will replace him? The bill has not been very thoroughly thought out.
You are from the Northeastern part of the country, where the insurgency had ripped the region right and access to Western education. How peaceful is the place now? What do you think can be done to alleviate the huge education gap, especially in the girl child?
Alhamdulillah, the situation in the northeast has been greatly contained. Most of the captured villages have been reclaimed by our soldiers and there is now relative peace. The city of Maiduguri has been largely peaceful in the past year and businesses have returned to normal. Borno state government has done a lot with the aid of international NGOs in bridging the gap in education in the Northeast.
Make-shift schools have been set up in IDP camps and all major schools have been renovated. Children are being fed in schools and very recently education activist Malala Yousfzai was in the state on a working visit.
Neptune Prime very much appreciates your time and input Dr.
Thank you for this interview. I am truly honored and grateful.
Editors note:
In this first season of our interviews, we plan to feature writers, authors, poets, and the like, who have done exceptionally well and have contributed immensely to the public via their work in their diverse fields of endeavors.
If you feel there is someone we need to feature who matches the above-mentioned qualities, kindly bring him/her to our attention.
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Dr. Damagum is one of the people I’ve always looked up to because of her being a writer and physician, two professions I’m currently pursuing and would like to practice.
Btw, I’ll like NP to invite poets & writers like Salim Yunusa, Nasiba Babale and Aliyu Jalal for their forthcoming interviews.
Well noted. Thanks for the suggestion.