The leadership of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has criticized the federal government for failing to re-constitute the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), almost three years after it was dissolved.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, President of the NMA, Francis Faduyile said the non-constitution of the regulatory body has encouraged lots of unprofessional practices in the medical sector.
Faduyile also decried the inability of the government to pay the salaries of medical doctors who work at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia, a situation the body claims has resulted in ongoing industrial action.
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Three years ago, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the immediate dissolution of the MDCN council alongside the council of other agencies and parastatals of the Federal Government.
From then on, the NMA and other stakeholders in the medical profession had consistently reminded the government of the dangers of not constituting the Council and how it had negatively affected medical practice in Nigeria.
Dr Faduyile told journalist in September that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NMA asked the government to urgently reinstate the council in order to enhance the operations of MDCN.
He disclosed that NEC had directed its National Officers’ Committee (NOC) to approach the courts to seek an interpretation of the statement “the Council shall be a body corporate in with perpetual succession” as clearly stated in MDCN Act Cap M8.
The NOC, according to Faduyile, was also directed by the NEC to take all necessary actions to compel the Federal Government to reconstitute the MDCN Council on or before 30th September, being the 10th weeks after a declaration and assurance by President Buhari that MDCN Council shall be reconstituted soon.