The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has called for an investigation on the quality of medical education offered to Nigerians studying medicine in some foreign countries, calling on the national assembly to resist being used under any disguise to compromise the quality of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
The National President of the Association, Dr Uche Rowland Ojinmah, speaking on Monday through the Oyo State Chairman of the NMA, Dr Wale Lasisi, at a press conference to mark the 2023 Physicians’ Week, urged that the federal government prevent medical training from being politicised.
Dr Ojinmah said that if Nigerian-trained doctors and dentists are poorly trained, they won’t be in high demand worldwide and called on the federal government to investigate the quality of medical education offered to Nigerians studying medicine in some foreign countries, especially Ukraine.
According to NMA, “those trying to foist ill-trained graduates on Nigeria as doctors are only making the treatment of a disease worse than the disease.
“NMA wishes to denounce the persistent attempt by certain individuals and bodies to interfere with the regulation of medical education and standards, especially as it relates to the board licencing of foreign-trained medical graduates.
“We have reviewed in detail the processes and content of these exams, and we make bold to say that any medical graduate that fails them should be humble enough to seek help and not engage in brazen arm-twisting and blackmail.
“We stand with the MDCN on this and encourage the registrar to remain undaunted, as no one can intimidate him while we watch.
“As stated in the Physicians’ Pledge, we shall do all within our power to ‘defend the honour and noble traditions of medicine’. We wonder why it is only the medical profession that faces this onslaught. Other courses are also read in Ukraine, Sudan, Egypt, Belarus, etc.
“Why must medicine be forced to accept all and sundry to practice, whether qualified or not? If our government does not value the lives of Nigerians, then the NMA does, and it shall insist on not unleashing terror on Nigerians by licencing unqualified medical and dental graduates.
“Those that pass the licencing exams are not aliens. If you cannot pass, then seek help and try again. We wish to especially call on our beloved National Assembly to resist being used under any guise to compromise the quality of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.”
Dr Ojinmah also declared the NMA’s opposition to the proposal by the Federal Government to stop funding MDCN next year, describing the plan as “ill-conceived, which can only lead to disaster”.
“The job of MDCN, which is the regulation of medical and dental practice, is so important that funding from the government is appropriate. If we stop funding the MDCN, I wonder who we want to do it with. Probably the doctors and dentists will take over funding a body that regulates and may punish them if necessary.
“Let us remember that he who pays the piper may dictate 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.”
