National Executives Council (NEC) of the Medical and Dental Consultant’s Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has demanded a halt and reversal of the consultant pharmacy cadre in order to maintain sanity and orderliness in patient care and well-being in public health institutions.
This is contained in a statement issued at the end of their meeting in Katsina.
The statement which was issued in Jos was jointly signed by MDCAN’s president, Prof Mohammad Aminu and secretary general, Prof. Daiyabu Alhaji, warned that the development if not addressed would throw the healthcare sector into unnecessary and avoidable crisis in the country.
MDCAN also observed with dismay the non implementation of the 50% electricity subsidy by the federal government which it said had placed heavy burden on hospitals.
The association further reiterated the urgent need to address pay disparity among medical doctors who work in federal establishments and state-owned institutions and resolved to continue to press on this demand by engaging the leadership of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) as well as individual state governors in order to stem the tide of internal migration from state-owned hospitals to federal healthcare institutions.
The medical and dental consultants also noted with concern, the increasing inflation rates which affect access to healthcare by causing increase in the cost of services as well as drugs.
The NEC appealed to the federal government to critically look into the possibility of reducing the pump prices of petroleum products as a way to boost the economic power of the citizenry.
The association further reiterated the position of the Fellowship of Medical Postgraduate Colleges as the highest professional and academic qualification required for the training of doctors at undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as for career progression.
They commended the minister of education, Dr Maruf Tunji, for the improved welfare of medical lecturers, stressing that this would encourage medical doctors to take up teaching appointments in medical schools, therefore supporting the federal government’s policy of doubling the enrolment of medical students and training of postgraduate doctors in teaching hospitals.
