House of Rep. member Abdulganiyu Johnson (APC-Lagos) says the bill that seeks to bar Nigeria-trained medical doctors and dentists from travelling abroad to practice unless they have put in a minimum of five years in Nigeria has caused crisis in the nation’s health sector.Information Guide Nigeria
Abdulganiyu, who sponsored the bill, said this in Abuja on Thursday while making clarifications on the raison d’etre of the bill against the backdrop of the controversy it has generated.
According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the bill seeking to mandate Nigeria-trained medical and dental practitioners to practise for a minimum of five years in the country before being granted full licence passed the second reading in the House of Representatives on April 6.
“Our population is more than 200million and the number of medical doctors we have is about 10,000. If care is not taken may be herbalists will have to take over and be treating our people.NYSC Portal
Other Top Stories:
- More Than 400 Migrants Die Crossing Central Mediterranean – IOM
- Wema Bank Plc, Conoil Plc, Others Fail To File Annual Reports
- Orji Kalu Buries Late Wife In America
- Naira declines by 0.17% at official market
“We have crisis already and how do we mitigate it? Let us increase the number of years they (doctors) will get their licenses and this is not to stop them from travelling abroad.
“The five years include their national service and housemanship period, which amounts to three years and it is a way of promoting professionalism. You can register for your residency and engage in hospital services.
“By the time they complete the three years they would have completed their residency, it will be a win-win for the country and the medical doctors,” he said.
The lawmarker emphasized that with the residency training, the doctors would become specialists, pointing out it would be a way of promoting the nation’s medical doctors to be specialists instead of just being general practitioners.
He added that UK decision to place Nigeria medical personnel on red alert from coming to their country was a pointer to his bill.JAMB Result
