The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has called on the federal government to urgently initiate all necessary processes to motivate healthcare workers and curb their mass exodus to other countries.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting in Kwara State, signed by its president, Professor Mohammad Aminu Mohammad, and National Secretary, Professor Daiyabu Alhaji Ibrahim, and made available to newsmen in Jos, Plateau State, MDCAN proposed motivational schemes such as compensation for occupational infections, social security, and occupational insurance at the workplace to address the issue.
The association advocated for critical stakeholders’ meetings in the health sector to discuss and develop a comprehensive, holistic approach to resolving the myriad challenges affecting the sector and hindering optimal healthcare delivery in the country.
MDCAN also pledged to contribute innovative ideas to find lasting solutions to the challenges confronting healthcare delivery.
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The association urged the federal government to promptly implement the resolutions (MOU) signed on November 22, 2024, which address the long-standing demand for the universal applicability of CONMESS for all medical and dental doctors across various government establishments.
The communiqué further called on the federal government to implement the approved 50 percent reduction in energy bills for health and educational institutions to ensure continuous service delivery and training.
It also appealed to state governments to approve and implement a 50 percent subsidized energy rate for state public health and educational institutions, as approved by the federal government, noting that this measure would enhance energy supply and improve service delivery in the sectors.
Additionally, the communiqué urged vice chancellors, particularly those in the South Western Zone—specifically the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, and University of Ilorin—to implement the payment of clinical lecturers with CONMESS, as is being done in other regions of Nigeria, without further delay.
MDCAN condemned the ongoing discrimination by some Nigerian universities against medical fellowship holders, which prevents them from reaching the peak of their careers on the grounds of not possessing a PhD degree.
The association emphasized that medical and dental fellowships are sufficient as both academic and professional qualifications for medical training and career advancement.
Furthermore, MDCAN appealed to the federal government to urgently halt and reverse the proliferation of non-medical consultants in national hospitals, stressing that such practices jeopardize patient safety, compromise proper patient management, and create unnecessary controversies in patient care.
