FG committed to human capital development in health sector as MDCN inducts 879 foreign trained doctors

The Federal government has expressed its commitment to Human Capital Development (HCD) in the health sector to improve outcomes among other deliverables.

Consequently, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has inducted 879 foreign-trained doctors into its fold.

MDCN said a total of 879 doctors were successful at the June 2021 assessment examinations organised by the council at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, and out of the 879 foreign-trained doctors inducted, 862 are medical doctors, while 17 are dentists.

Speaking at the induction ceremony in Abuja, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, observed that government considers the health sector as one of the key priority areas that will help achieve the goal of alleviating poverty among Nigerians. He noted that the Federal Government envisions Universal Health Coverage (UHC) making it accessible and affordable to all Nigerians, irrespective of social status adding that the induction is significant; as 879 foreign-trained medical and dental graduates will be added to the group of medical personnel that is already working to actualise this vision.

Ehanire said part of the government’s priorities in the sector is to revamp Federal Teaching Hospitals across the country; collaborate with Private Sector Investors to establish High-Quality Hospitals in Nigeria; reduce gaps in all health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by at least 60 percent, reduce the current imbalance between Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Health Care; and actively collaborate with the Private sector to create a large number of well-paying jobs for Nigerian youths, and Implementing a strategy towards the realization of Mr. President’s June promise to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next ten years and soliciting increased investment in the health sector.

Ehanire said that the Federal Government has started implementing a strategy towards the realization of President Muhammadu Buhari’s June 12 promise to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.

The minister disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health and the Budget Office of the Federation has approved in this year’s budget funds for the payments of house officers by the MDCN effective from January 2021.

He noted that MDCN is now charged with the posting, placement, and payment of the house officers to ensure equitable availability of spaces for housemanship training on a first-come-first-served basis.

In his remarks, the Registrar of MDCN, Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi, described the ongoing nationwide strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) as very unfortunate.

Sanusi told inducted graduates that by MDCN policy, house officers are advised not to allow their membership of the NARD or any other association to affect their posting adding that house officers are to spend 12 uninterrupted weeks of training on each stage of the posting, adding that anyone that wants to resign midway must refund monies he or she was paid so far. He warned the inductees to abide by their professional ethics as disciplinary organs within the council are ready to punish doctors found wanting in the discharge of their duties while there is a tribunal that has powers to suspend or delist those found guilty of an offence.

Sanusi pointed out that the council does not owe any house officer his salary as of July 2021, adding that if anyone is owed, the problem will be from the respective teaching hospitals.