By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has said the current ratio of One doctor for every 2,500 individuals in Nigeria is a far cry from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of One doctor for every 600 individuals.
According to them, with the prevailing “Japa” syndrome, the present situation has regrettably worsened especially for specialist services which MDCAN members provide.
MDCAN made their position known in a communique issued to newsmen in Jos, the Plateau State capital after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association held in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The Theme and the Sub-theme of the meeting is ‘Policy Making for Quality Health Care Service: Engaging Policy Makers for Quality Health Care Delivery’ and “Caring for the Carers: Prioritizing the Health Care Providers in Nigeria” .
The communique which was signed by the MDCAN President Prof. Aminu Mohammad and Secretary Prof. Daiyabu Ibrahim also frowned at the slow progress of implementation of all the decisions and Resolutions memorandum of understanding (MOU), reached recently between the association and the Federal Government on her demands which was mediated by the Hon. Minister of Labour, to resolve the industrial dispute in November, 2024.
They regretted that the timeline set for the implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) has since expired.
NEC is also worried over the Federal Government’s delay in implementing the approved 50% reduction in the energy bill of Federal Health and Educational Institutions as earlier announced by the Government stressing that the delay constitutes impediment to optimal and quality healthcare delivery to Nigerians.
“The State Governments are yet to embrace our calls for reducing energy bills at the various State-owned Hospitals, to allow for effective and improved healthcare delivery across our State Hospitals. NEC further observed that, the Federal Government was yet to address the perennial issues of shortfall in the remuneration/income loss by Clinical Lecturers (Honorary Consultants) occasioned by non-payment of their basic salary with the CONMESS Scale”.
According to the communique, NEC observed the growing industrial disharmony between her members in Universities in the Southwest Zone and Ilorin with dismay. This is evidently due to failure of the Management of these universities to pay Clinical Lecturers with CONMESS salary structure adding this position promotes internal and external brain drain in an already depleted and insufficient workforce.
The Medical body also lamented the unnecessary proliferation of Consultant Cadre for non-Medical Doctors in our Tertiary Health Institutions noting that this especially without any proper delineation of responsibilities and attendant implication for patient care, especially when the job descriptions of such non-Medical Doctor Consultants have not been clearly stated.
According to them this will definitely be a recipe for disorderly and chaotic patient management which is inimical to effective healthcare service delivery in our hospitals and can only lead to a worsening of our health indices. They also condemned the incessant and increasing workplace violence against doctors and other health workers by especially patient relations.
NEC expressed grave concern over the recent spate of insecurity targeting Doctors and other Healthcare workers both at their workplace and homes and further expressed dismay over the recurrent discrimination by some Nigerian Universities, against Medical Fellowship Holders, preventing them from reaching the peak of their career on the basis of non-possession of Ph.D. degree.
They are further alarmed and disturbed over the negative impact of the shortage in medical manpower, cutting across all levels and cadres of Healthcare Professionals, with various healthcare workers failing to take up positions advertised in hospitals, resulting in some units regrettably closing down all within the backdrop of massive brain drain in the Health and Medical Education sectors.
According to them, this has impacted negatively on the quality of healthcare services offered to the citizenry and the overburdening of the existing workforce available in our medical schools and Hospitals, which has also negatively impacted the well-being of the healthcare workers, who often suffer from burnout.
NEC also enjoined the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, put all necessary processes in motion to motivate the Healthcare Workers to stay in the country, thereby curtailing the mass exodus to other countries. For instance, providing compensation schemes for occupational infections, social security and occupational insurance at the workplace.
“The Federal Government should urgently implement the signed Resolutions (MoU) of 22nd November 2024, addressing the long-standing demand of Universal Applicability for CONMESS for all Medical and Dental Doctors across different Government establishments.”
The Medical body also urge Federal Government to implement the approved 50% reduction in energy bills for Health and Educational Institutions as a matter of urgency, to guarantee continuous services delivery and training while also appealing to the State Governments to approve and implement 50% subsidized energy rate across State Public Health and Educational Institutions, as approved by the Federal Government.
According to them, this will guarantee an improved energy supply and consequently improve service delivery in these sectors while also encouraging the State Governments to provide sustainable renewable energy options to these institutions in the long run.
NEC demands the immediate release of a circular for the increase in Retirement Age to 70 years for Hospital Consultants and 65 years for other Healthcare Workers as resolved in the resolutions reached with the Federal Government. Furthermore, the State Governments are also enjoined to adopt these resolutions wholly, so as to further close the gaps in the health workforce deficit across the States.
They call on the Vice Chancellors, particularly those of the South Western Zone (especially, the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University), and University of Ilorin to implement the payment of Clinical Lecturers with CONMESS as being done across other regions in Nigeria, without further delay.
“We appeal to the Federal Government to urgently stop and reverse the proliferation of non- Medical Consultants across our Hospitals. This is to forestall patient’s safety and to ensure proper management of patients and avoid unnecessary controversies in patient management.”
They reject the continuous discrimination by some Nigerian Universities, against Medical Fellowship Holders, preventing them from reaching the peak of their career on the basis of not possessing a PhD degree and reiterating that the Medical and Dental Fellowships suffice both as academic and professional qualification in medical training and career advancement.
MDCAN also call for urgent need to convey health sector critical stakeholders’ meetings to discuss and formulate a comprehensive and holistic pathways to address the myriads of challenges affecting the healthcare sector and militating against optimal healthcare delivery in the country adding that the association will be available to contribute innovative ideas towards finding lasting solutions to the challenges facing healthcare delivery in our country.
“Government should as a matter of urgency, develop protocol and measures of preventing Nigerians from getting near fuel tanker accidents, improved road infrastructure, poverty reduction and orientation of the citizenry. “
NEC commended the efforts of President Bola Tinubu, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, the Hon. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi for the roles they continue to play towards the resolution of MDCAN labour challenges.
