NMA gives FG ultimatum to re-constitute MDCN council

Seeks support for Healthcare Workers’ Bill of Rights
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on the Federal Government to re-constitute the Council of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on or before 30th September 2018, threatening to take a decisive action if the demand is not met.

NMA also urged the government to consider introduction of the Healthcare Workers’ Bill of Rights even as it pledged to support the implementation of the recently launched Patients’ Bill of Rights.

President of NMA, Dr. Adedayo Faduyile, who briefed journalists on the resolutions at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, lamented that 10 weeks after the declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari that the MDCN council would be constituted soon, nothing has been done, despite repeated appeals since three years after its dissolution.

Faduyile said the National Officers’ Committee (NOC) had been directed to take all necessary actions to ensure the Federal Government re-constitute the MDCN council.

“NEC also noted that the Act setting up MDCN reiterates that ‘the council shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession’. The NEC also directed NOC to approach the court of law to seek for the interpretation of the statement as clearly stated in the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act Cap M8.”

The NMA president observed that poor hospital infrastructure/equipment and environment, inadequate social amenities in the country, poor remuneration and devalued national currency are major causes of brain drain in the health sector. He lamented that medical quackery has brought untold hardships to many Nigerians, in term of complications.

Faduyile stressed the need for government at all levels to ensure that the various funds voted to finance the primary healthcare, especially from the approved and appropriated Consolidated Revenue Fund in National Health Act, are judiciously managed.

He appealed to government to improve the infrastructure, social amenities and the economy.

Faduyile commended the federal and some state governments for their efforts and determination to implement the proposed new minimum wage from September, 2018.