By CHIOMA OBINNA
A passionate call has gone to President Goodluck Jonathan to save the country’s medical practice from collapse by urgently appointing a Chairman for the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, just as the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, NPMCN, has raised alarm over non allocation of resources to it by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND.
Making the call for appointment of the MDCN Chairman in Lagos, President of the NPMCN, Professor Victor Wakwe said it is unfair for Nigeria not to have regulated medical services.
Wakwe observed that from the end of 2007 to the beginning of 2010, the MDCN, which is rated at the same level as a High Court to regulate activities of all medical doctors in the country, has not functioned to date.
“All the Council needs to function is a Chairman.” He regretted that many cases of malpractice by medical doctors have been pending from that time till date.
“Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria is like a High Court and cannot function without a Chairman. Cases of negligence amongst others reported from the end of 2007 till date are still lying without being attended to. We appeal to Mr. President to appoint the Chairman of the Council.”
Crying out for financial help to upgrade facilities at the 34-year-old College, Wakwe lamented that the College had been neglected and unable to access funds from Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, because of its establishment under the Ministry of Health, while TETFUND was planted to handle education affairs.
“This is a tertiary education; therefore, TETFUND needs to release money to the institution so as to operate successfully. We are aware that this Trust Fund begs universities to access the fund, why should our case be exempted,” he noted.
The College lacks academic infrastructure, performance and cognitive skills examination centre and training facilities.
“We have sent two proposals; one for the purchase of manikins, simulators, computers including the training of personnel that will carry out the training of resident doctors and others. We want to know why TETFUND cannot help the College, which caters for more than 90 percent of postgraduate medical training of doctors and dentists.”
Already, government has resuscitated the Post – Part 1 One – year abroad training, and sent doctors abroad last year for training, but this year, no doctor has been sent abroad.
Of about 600 doctors for training, 200 Post Part 1 candidates are abroad, the remaining who cannot be accommodated can be posted to the rural areas to work in the general hospitals and other health facilities.
The College’s 31st Convocation on 19th September, 2013, would bring the total number of doctors it has trained to 4,458 since inception.
Source:Vanguard
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