The Southwest zone of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has faulted the proposed bill on compulsory five year service for its members, saying it will only create a pool of redundant medical doctors in the country.
The zonal NMA Chairman, Dr Babatunde Rosiji who stated this while speaking with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti said it is anomaly for the bill to say that doctors must work for five years before getting their permanent practicing licenses.
Dr Rosiji who doubles as Ekiti State branch of NMA said the sponsor of the bill identified a problem but didn’t consult widely enough before jumping into the middle of the matter without knowing its origin, the recommendations on ground and the future direction.
Also, the former attorney general and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti State. Mr Owoseni Ajayi said the bill being proposed for whatever reason is unlawful.
The NMA boss said that the brain-drain syndrome which the bill is trying to check mate is an international phenomenon with peculiarity in different localities.
He said the issue can only be addressed if the three pertinent questions of: Why are these doctors leaving, where are they leaving to and what are the factors that are attracting them there ? are examined and answers are provided to them.
According to him, “Normal trajectory of medical practice is that a medical student, after study, becomes an intern during a house job for one year and is actually on provisional license which is temporary for the period where senior doctors train him before getting a permanent license.
“But the bill is suggesting that the one year period should be increased to five years and when that happens, a redundant pool of doctors will be created, who cannot go backward and cannot move forward for a total period of five years and that will create a bigger problem, because those coming after them will not have spaces for housemanship.
“Servicing of the National Youth Service Corps and other schemes will also be affected since they will not want to have doctors with no permanent license.
In Ajayi’s submission he noted that the proposed bill was to address ‘ japa” problem that has permeated every sector saying everybody who has the opportunity is trying to leave the country, not only medical doctors.
He said, “I don’t agree with it, because it is a restriction on their fundamental right to freedom of movement and to practice their profession.
“The moment they are granted the certificate or license to practice by the appropriate authorities, any extra legislation to restrict them will be done against their fundamental right. It is a breach of their fundamental right. They have laws guiding the practice”.
