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The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has rejected a bill seeking to make it mandatory for fresh medical graduates to provide services to Nigeria for up to five years before receiving full registration and license to practise.

The proposed legislation which has passed the second reading at the lower chamber of the National Assembly is to discourage doctors from leaving the country in droves and heightening the brain drain scourge.

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According to the bill sponsored by Hon. Abiodun Ganiyu Johnson, the aim was to make it mandatory for fresh medical graduates to provide services to Nigeria for up to five years before receiving a full registration and license to practice.

The association, in a statement on Saturday signed by its president, Dr Victor Makanjuola and the secretary-general, Dr Yemi R. Raji, said the bill being proposed by the House of Representatives was discriminatory and not in the interest of the people.

The doctors said the bill violates the constitution of Nigeria, as Section 34 (1) b states that, “no person shall be held in slavery or servitude” while section 34 (1) (c) states that, “no one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour.

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It stated that while passion and concern for the health of Nigerians demonstrated by Abiodun Ganiyu Johnson in proposing the bill as panacea for physician brain drain is commendable, the bill was, however, “misdirected, ill-informed and poorly thought through.”

The association said the bill had a possible effect of doing the exact opposite – aggravating the exodus – which it has been working with the executive arm of government to mitigate.

It stated, “It is pertinent to state that none of the suggestions of the inter-ministerial committee on brain drain and bonding of health workers has been implemented till date.”

MDCAN said that it has along with sister associations in the health sector, provided to the appropriate agencies of government both useful and practical suggestions on how to remedy the situation but that none heeded such advice.

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It said healthcare workforce shortage was a global phenomenon that required international collaboration to address, through well thought-out, fair, and just guidelines. Hence, enacting a law to address such a global issue with a local quick fix is an over kill.

(Daily Trust/Arise News)