MDCAN Files Suit in Court to Expand Powers of Medical Practitioners
The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria has filled a suit in an abuja high court seeking to Expand Powers of Medical Practitioners. The suit was filed against the attorney general of the federation, minister of health, head of the civil service of the federation, minister of labour and employment, senate president, speaker of the house of representative, clerk of the national assembly, medical laboratory science council of nigeria, association of medical laboratory scientists of Nigeria, association of radiographers of Nigeria, Nigeria union of allied health professionals formerly national union of pharmacists medical technologists and professionals allied to medicine
The suit seeks amongst many:
A declaration that the MDCN have the powers to monitor activities of members of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th defendants and other health workers as long as they are allied to medicine, in order to ensure that they are in line with standard medical practice and to ensure that there is no duplication of medical experts in other professions allied to medicine
An order that any validation or authentication by whatever means, of duplication or replication of the education and practice of medicine and dentistry by whatsoever name called by members of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th defendant or by anybody or body of persons without the involvement of the MDCN is null and void as it jeopardizes public interest
An ORDER that the award of all undergraduate Doctor degrees in areas related to medicine including optometry and pharmacy is null and void
A PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining every academic institution from awarding undergraduate doctor degree in areas or professions related to medicine to avoid confusing the public
A DECLARATION that medical practitioners especially laboratory physicians or pathologists practice in hosptials/clinical laboratories as regulated by the MDPA is different from the medical laboratory contemplated and regulated by the medical laboratory science council of nigeria act LFN
A DECLARATION that the head of service is not in the position to make rules for practice of medicine in hospitals or determine how hospitals are structured or run for quality patient care and safety
AN ORDER that the scheme of service for the civil service of the federation published in 2003 emanating from the 3rd defendant cannot determine the structure and runing of hospitals which was deliberately set up to meet the needs of patient care and safety or take over the responsibilities of the varioius boards and the national health council established by law
AN ORDER that the scheme of service of the head of civil service of the federation and any scheme of service of the various states fashioned after that of the head of service of the federation as far as health-workers are concerned be reviewed in proper consultation with practitioners of medicine and dentistry especially with MDCN, NMA, the plaintiffs association and other stakeholders so that normalcy can return to the health sector
AN ORDER rendering null and void the provision of section 28 of the MLSCN Act 2003 and the schedule made thereto for being mischievous, deceptive and made in bad faith by conferring status on members of the public who have not acquired the qualifying degree to be called medical laboratory scientists
AN ORDER of injunction restraining all the defendants and anybody or body of persons by whatsoever name called from introducing things that are alien to medical practice in hospitals in Nigeria, which adversely affect the quality and standard of healthcare, without proper consultation with the MDCN which is the regulator in the medical and dental profession
A PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining any person or body of persons, government agencies from disturbing the management and health-service delivery structure of hospitals and health institutions in Nigeria which is the statutory function of the hospitals boards, health management boards and the national council on health established by law, without proper consultation with the MDCN, NMA, MDCAN and other stakeholders
