Posted on: Thu 05-02-2026

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and the management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) are locked in counterclaims following allegations that 17 newly posted House Officers were rejected by the hospital on ethnic and regional grounds.

The UCTH management has denied any act of discrimination, insisting that the affected House Officers are safe and not exposed to any form of risk. The hospital said the issues at stake are strictly administrative and regulatory and are being handled through appropriate official channels.

In a statement, UCTH disclosed that it had formally written to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH) and other relevant authorities for guidance on the matter.

“We wish to clearly state that all House Officers who reported to UCTH are safe and not at any risk whatsoever. Their welfare remains important to the hospital management, and no one has been subjected to harm or unsafe conditions,” the hospital stated.

UCTH explained that reports circulating about the resumption of some House Officers relate to posting, clearance, and regulatory procedures, stressing that these matters are being addressed in line with due process.

While appealing for calm and patience, the hospital said it is awaiting guidance from the Federal Ministry of Health to resolve the situation.

MDCN: “We Don’t Post House Officers”

Reacting to claims that it posted the 17 medical graduates to UCTH, the MDCN categorically denied responsibility, stating that it does not post House Officers to training institutions.

An MDCN official, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, explained that medical graduates independently select institutions for their mandatory one-year housemanship, while the Council only approves such choices based on available vacancies.

“It is wrong to say that MDCN posted the graduates to UCTH. We don’t post people. What we do is approve the choices made by candidates based on availability of vacancies. The graduates indicated UCTH as their choice, and we approved it based on the vacancies available at the time,” the official said.

When asked about the fate of the graduates following their alleged rejection, the source added:

“It is not MDCN that should tell them what to do. I believe they themselves know what to do at this point.”

As of press time, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had yet to issue an official response. The Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, confirmed that an official position was being worked on.

Allegations of Sharp Practices

In a related development, a petition dated January 9, 2026, obtained by Vanguard, accused MDCN of alleged sharp practices involving a proxy group, Doclumina Networking, purportedly collecting illegal fees from prospective House Officers.

The petition, with reference number UCTH/DCMAC/270, signed by the Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (Training & Research), Dr. Felix Archibong, and addressed to the MDCN Registrar, alleged that the group demanded between N250,000 and N300,000 from young doctors seeking deployment to preferred hospitals, including UCTH.

Efforts to reach the Chief Medical Director of UCTH, Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone were not answered.

NMA: “Our Professional Body Is in Control”

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) also weighed in on the controversy, assuring that the matter is under control and being handled through professional channels.

Speaking in a telephone interview with Vanguard, the President of NMA, Prof. Bala Abdul, said the association is in constant touch with the MDCN and expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved without escalation.

“We are in touch with the MDCN on this matter, and they are handling it directly. We don’t want it to turn into a matter of unionism because we are very confident it will be resolved,” Abdul said.

He stressed that institutions accredited for housemanship are under obligation to accept candidates approved by the MDCN, noting that the Council remains the only statutory body empowered to accredit hospitals for housemanship training and determine their intake capacity.

“Our professional body is in total control of the situation. We did not go to the press; we followed the proper channel,” he added.

 

Doctors Allege Tribal Bias

Meanwhile, one of the affected House Officers, in a complaint obtained by Vanguard, alleged that the group was openly rejected by the hospital’s management upon arrival in Calabar.

According to the young doctor, the Chief Medical Director allegedly questioned why 15 of the 17 House Officers were from the same region, why no Cross River indigenes were on the list, and why only 17 officers were approved despite the hospital claiming to have 50 slots.

The complainant further alleged that the officers were accused of paying for their placements without evidence and claimed that they were asked to leave the hospital premises and return home.

“I never thought I would face this level of tribalism in my life. Most of us have no accommodation and are sleeping on the floor. This experience only fuels the ‘japa’ mentality among healthcare workers,” the doctor said.

The House Officer also claimed that appeals by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), UCTH chapter, and the NMA Cross River State branch failed to change the situation.

As the controversy deepens, stakeholders await official intervention from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to clarify responsibilities and bring closure to the dispute surrounding the 17 House Officers.

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