We are Licenced, Eligible to Practice in Nigeria and Other Countries – Foreign Trained Doctors
Doctors under the umbrella of Foreign Trained Doctors, FTDs have said that licence were specially given to them upon completion of their programme abroad to enable them practice in Nigeria and in other countries. The doctors said contrary to Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, Registrar, Medical Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN who claimed that only 8 out of 695 doctors were given licence where they studied; said that licence from countries of graduation was one of the criteria for their registration for MDCN programme.
In a statement by Dr Adam Ibrahim, spokes person, FTDs, Dr Kelechi Wodike, Dr Towie, and Dr Victor on behalf of the doctors, the body who accused Dr Sanusi of corruption, and favourism said that, “These are the signs of corruption and favoritism displayed right before our eyes. The acting Registrar said that only 8 among the 689 foreign trained doctors had license to practice in the country of training. This statement is false because one of the criteria for the registration of the MDCN Programme which requires a letter from the Institution of training stating that we are eligible to practice medicine in the country of training was provided”. “We were also mandated to register with EPIC ( Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials), which is an American body that offers verification of medical credentials to Physicians and Organizations worldwide. How ironic that the competent Dr Sanusi is using a foreign body to verify medical credentials of foreign trained doctors.
Since the Acting Registrar often asserts that anything foreign is synonymous to incompetency or not up to standard, why then use an American based body to verify our credentials?asked the doctors. They also called on relevant authorities, including the National Assembly to intervene on the alleged mass failure of 437 out of over 700 doctors that sat for the recent MDCN assessment examination at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH, including an alleged falsification of their results. Their words, “As patriotic Nigerians nearly 700 of us returned to the country with the view to make our contributions in the nation’s health sector in consonance with the policy for certification of FTDs to practice. We enrolled in remedial course for tropical studies at UITH which started 1st August 2017.
And On completion of the training and consequent assessment test ,the Registrar declared a result where only 243 passed including 6 from dental Surgery out of 689. The implication is that 437 doctors failed and unqualified for issuance of license to practice in Nigeria”. “However, our results were posted on the MDCN website on 18 of November 2017. And following questions about the credibility of the results it was taken down from the website on 21 November 2017 and put back again, only to discover the result was altered with some names added and some names were removed.” noted the doctors.
Continuing, the aggrieved doctors also alleged that Dr Sanusi’s position as acting Registrar was illegal as no formal council approved his appointment,” As transpired during a session with House of Representatives committee on ethics and privilege Dr Sanusi arrogated the position of acting Registrar following the expiration of his predecessor’s tenure in 2015. We confirmed that there was no formal authorisation during a series of questions thrown at him by the members where he answered that he assumed the post being the most senior in rank for the position. This singular act negates all action he took in that capacity in as much as there was no formal authorisation. The acting Registrar should therefore be placed in his rightful position since he does not have legal authorisation to occupy the position”, added medical practitioners.
By Elizabeth Uwandu
