By Richard Thomas: Ibadan
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has warned the federal government against its plan to stop funding Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) from next year, adding that the development is ill conceived and can only lead to disaster.
The President of the association, Dr. Uche Ojinmah gave the warning in his address marking the 2023 NMA Physician week.
Speaking on the theme, “This is Our Chance To Get It Right In The Health Sector”, Dr. Ojinmah said the development which he described as ill conceived could lead to disaster if the federal government stopped funding of the Medical and Dental Council.
Recall that the federal government had, through a circular from the Budget Office, dated June 26, 2023, announced its decision to stop funding the Ministries, Departments & Agencies and other notable professional bodies which include MDCN, effective from January 1, 2024.
“The plan to stop funding Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) from next year to us is I’ll conceived and can lead to disaster. The job of MDCN which is regulation of medical and dental practice is so important that funding her by government is appropriate.
“If we stop funding the MDCN, I wonder who will want to do it, probably the doctors and dentist will take over funding a body that regulates and may punish them if necessary. Let us remember that he that pays the piper may dictates the tune. We call on our dear government to continue to fund MDCN in the interest of the health and well being of our citizenry.”
“Furthermore, the routine incapacitation of the Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) regulatory function is no longer acceptable.
“The Act setting up the MDCN stated that the Council shall be in perpetuity but the practice whereby government allows the Council of MDCN to elapse without replacement especially for long durations compromise the ability to regulate medical practice properly as the Investigative
Panel and Medical and Dental Practitioners Tribunal which are organs of the
Council cannot be constituted.”
Ojinmah whose address was delivered by the state chairman of the association, Dr Wale Lasisi said the progress towards payment of slightly improved salary to members is just too slow, calling on government to immediately commence the payment of the recently reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) with their arrears and also the Accoutrement allówance for medical doctors and dentists.
“We are using this opportunity to call on government to immediately commence the payment of the recently reviewed CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures with their arrears and also the Accoutrement allówance for medical doctors and dentists.
“As we all know and can bear witness to, our dear country is passing through a very difficult time and we as citizens bear the brunt. We as an association are exploring all peaceful avenues towards securing some economic reprieve for our beloved members.
“I hope there won’t be need for us to engage in another round of agitation for the implementation of what has been circularized since July 2023. Let’s make hay while the sun shines.
“We equally use this medium to appeal to the Oyo state government to approve and immediately implement the upward review of hazard allowances for State Doctors and other healthcare workers in the state as already applicable in most states in the region, in similar vein we call for consideration and legislation for domestication of the Medical residency training act prompt as improved.
According to him, the theme of this year’s Physicians’ Week was chosen to provide positive direction to the new administration as it relates to fixing our healthcare sector.
He said if anyone has any case against a doctor practicing in Nigeria, it should channel such to the Registrar of Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for appropriate response being the body statutorily saddled with such responsibility.
“We use this medium to humbly sound a note of warning to all and sundry to never try to run Nigerian doctors down in anyway but to always follow due process if aggrieved or in discharging their responsibilities.
“If anyone has any case against a doctor practicing in Nigeria, it should channel such to the Registrar of Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for appropriate response being the body statutorily saddled with such responsibility.
“The Nigerian Medical Association hereby express her displeasure at the recent media trial of some healthcare workers by the Minister of Women Affairs. We believe that such behavior is infra dig for one that occupies such a lofty office.
The Nigerian Medical Association is watching closely all processes and proceedings as it concerns the case in the Federal Capital Territory and shall respond appropriately. We also use this opportunity to express our condolences to the relatives of the deceased and call on our security agencies to do their job by fishing out the culprits responsible for her death It is high time our security agencies ended this menace of “one chance” and most of the insecurity problems including kidnapping for ransom.
The NMA, however warned against licensing unqualified medical and dental graduates, calling on the national to resist being used under any guise to compromise the quality of care delivery in Nigeria.
