NMA urges members to boycott re-sit exam for foreign-trained doctors

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has urged its members to boycott today’s re-sit examination for foreign-trained medical and dental graduates.

The examination is to be conducted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

The NMA President, Prof. Mike O. Ogirima, and Secretary General, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

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

About 437 foreign-trained medical students, who sat for the MDCN examination last year at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), reportedly failed the exam.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, inducted the 243 successful medical doctors and six dental graduates who participated at the remedial course and assessment on February 15, 2018, in Abuja.

According to the NMA: “Nowhere in the world is a re-sit examination conducted for the licensing of fresh graduates.

“It is an abnormal development that would cast a negative aspersion on the quality of MDCN to the medical world.

The NMA enjoined the members to abide by the resolutions of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of December 16, 2017, asking them not to participate in the examinations.

While pledging to safe guide the country’s healthcare, the NMA said it believes in the credibility of the council, but would protect the integrity and practice of the medical profession.

The Federal Government had at the induction, criticised the poor performance of foreign-trained medical and dental graduates, at the assessment by the MDCN.

The health minister had expressed worry that, of the 686 medical and 10 dental candidates who took the examination, only 249 were successful.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Clement Uwaifo, represented the minister at the event.

He said: “It is disheartening to hear that certain candidates are not able to pass the examination of the MDCN, because the institutions are not listed in the world directory of medical schools.