By Christiana Ekpa
The house of representatives yesterday resolved to investigate the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) over a
refundable fee of N900,000 for citizens and N1,400,000 for non Citizens for six-month mandatory assessment programme.
The equally mandated its committee on healthcare services to probe MDCN over its directive requiring foreign-trained doctors who seek to take the council’s assessment examination to undergo a six-month mandatory attachment programme.
MDCN had asked all medical graduates schooled abroad and want to take the council assessment to pay a non-refundable fee of N900,000, while non-citizens are to pay N1,400,000 for the programme.
The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Solomon Maren, a lawmaker from Plateau.
The council had said the first attachment programme will commence in January and run till June.
Leading the debate on the motion, Maren said the requirement by MDCN may discourage the medical practice in the country.
“The foreign-trained graduates are coming from where the profession is not only highly paid for but also sought after, hence, the move may discourage them from coming back to the country to practice,” he said.
“The country has only about 4,8000 medical and dental practitioners, which is inadequate and may continue to reduce as a result of such irrational impositions by the governing bodies.
“Efforts by the federal government to boost and improve healthcare delivery through human capital development may be jeopardized if such outrageous charges are not removed, as many intending graduates may not be able to enrol into the council, without which they cannot practice.”
Maren told his colleagues that if “deliberate and proactive steps are not taken to check those atrocious charges the healthcare system will suffer further lack of professionals, thereby increasing medical tourism out of Nigeria and jeopardising the federal government’s efforts at economic recovery.
Contributing to the motion, Agbedi Fredrick, a lawmaker from Bayelsa, said if the programme is suspended it will alleviate the challenges of youths and parents.
He said Nigeria is in short supply of doctors and dentists, adding that the programme will discourage doctors from returning to the country and it will be to the detriment of the country.
“There should not be punitive measures to punish them if they want to return”, Fredrick added.
However, Ahmadu Jaha from Borno, kicked against the motion and said what Nigerians pay abroad is higher compared to what MDCN required them to pay.
“Most Nigerians are going outside the country for medical practice and the amount they pay abroad for them to be registered with relevant agencies or organisation is so high compared to what Nigeria charge them. We charge in naira, but abroad they charge in foreign currencies,” he said.
