Quote:Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja



The Nigerian Medical Association says errant doctors can no longer be punished because President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to reconstitute the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria Council which he dissolved three years ago.

The NMA , therefore , gave the President till the end of September to set up the MDCN or face serious backlash from Nigerians.

The President of the NMA , Dr Francis Faduyile, said this at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Faduyile stated that this was the decision of the National Executive Council of the NMA at a meeting in Osogbo , Osun State.

The MDCN is the professional health regulatory agency for the professions of medicine , dentistry and alternative medicine in Nigeria .

It is also in charge of disciplining errant doctors and enforcing global best practices.

Faduyile, however , wondered why such an important organ would be dissolved for so long .

He explained that most members of the MDCN were statutory members . Some of them include the NMA President , the secretary of the NMA and the Director of Hospital Services from each state .

Faduyile said Buhari only needed to nominate one person for the council to be set up but that he had failed to do so for the last three years.

He said , “As it is, medical practice in Nigeria is highly unregulated because the council is not in place . 

Those who had run afoul of the rules through negligence or gone against the physician pledge outright cannot be prosecuted and this is necessary as it is in the interest of the public .

“We want the public to rise up . The undergraduate medical curriculum has not been regularly updated and the world is leaving us behind .

“ For your information , the President of Nigeria needs to appoint just one nominee because every other member of the council is a statutory member. I don’ t know why it is difficult and because of that , the NMA has decided to defend the health of Nigerians.

“ By September 30 , if the council is not constituted , we will take decisive action so that you will know that we are serious about it . 

It is not about money but the health of the public . I want members of the public to join us in telling the President of the country that enough is enough, we want the health of our people to be properly taken care of . ”

The NMA boss said the association would soon approach the courts for proper interpretation on the MDCN matter.