Posted on: Thu 24-10-2024

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE EXTRAORDINARY EMERGENCY VIRTUAL NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) MEETING OF THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL CONSULTANTS’ ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (MDCAN) HELD ON WEDNESDAY 16™ OCTOBER, 2024, AT 4.00 PM (GMT +1).

PREAMBLE

The Extraordinary Emergency Virtual National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) was held on Wednesday, 16" October, 2024.

The agenda for the meeting was to appraise the increasing discrimination of the Medical Fellowship which has always been rated higher than the PhD in Clinical Sciences, because of its academic and professional curriculum that rightly appoint holders of the Medical Fellowship as issued by the National and West African Postgraduate Medical Colleges as Lecturer 1 and PhD holders as Lecturer 2 respectively.

After extensive deliberation, the NEC made the following observations.

The NEC observe with dismay the intentional attempt and absurdity to benchmark the requirement of the Vice Chancellor position to the attainment of a PhD, without regard to the Medical Fellowship which is the only qualification that adequately prepares anyone for employment as lecturer in the Faculties of Basic Clinical Sciences, Clinical Sciences and Dentistry in Nigerian Universities.

Failure of the Government to harmonise the retirement age of Medical Consultants to 70 years who are the undergraduate and postgraduate medical trainers and providers of specialist medical services in tertiary health institutions (Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres and Specialty Hospitals) at State and Federal levels further deprives the nation the services of these scares highly-skilled Healthcare Professionals.

Failure of Government to universally implement the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in order to correct shortfalls in the emolument, entry level, and pension contribution of Clinical Lecturers in Nigerian Universities.

NEC commends all the steps taken so far by her members to address the discriminatory advertisements for positions of Vice

Chancellors by some Universities aimed at disenfranchising medical lecturers, from contributing their quota to university administration and management at the highest level which they have done with distinctions in several universities. If this is not addressed once and for all this time, MDCAN may resort to actions that may not be limited to only withdrawal of services, but legal redress among others.

NEC observed that it is hypocritical for the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Nigerian Universities to discriminate against the Medical Fellowship and at the same time admit and verifiable, that Clinical Lecturers in Nigerian Universities are among the top researchers, research grant attractors, supervisors of PhDs with exceptional excellence and astute administrators of universities whenever given the opportunity. This must be condemned by all to save the Medical Profession and Medical Education in Nigeria.

NEC is disappointed at the past and current leadership of NUC which has encouraged the proliferation of “doctors” in Medical and Allied Health Sciences in Nigerian Universities switching unnecessarily without recourse to the needs of labour markets or the scheme of service of the Federation. This has led to the laughable situation of almost all undergraduates of these faculties now graduating as “doctors” except the REAL DOCTOR, who has on principle, continued to run Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)

NEC wishes to remind stakeholders that the PhD is inadequate to groom a Clinical Lecturer, which must have informed the wise decision of stakeholders to rate the Medical and Dental Fellowships higher than the PhD and rightly made the Medical and Dental Fellowships the highest qualifications for Clinical Lecturers for appointments and carrier progression in the Universities. Therefore, the incessant onslaught on clinical lecturers is regrettable and unnecessary.

Resolutions

The NEC resolved that it is unacceptable for any University to benchmark the requirements for the office of a Vice-Chancellor to the possession of a PhD degree, without recognizing the Medical Fellowship peculiar to the medical profession as an academic and professional qualification which has always been rated more than the PhD based on scientific evaluation. NEC therefore, demands the inclusion of a Medical Fellowship qualification in all adverts for positions of Vice Chancellor wherever Medicine and Dentistry are offered in such University.

Any discriminatory advertisements against holders of Medical Fellowship will no longer be acceptable, and members have been directed to take all necessary, lawful actions at their disposal to restore their rights as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

NEC demands that the Government should take all necessary measures to complete the process of harmonising the retirement age of Medical Consultants to 70 years to mitigate the effects of Doctors’ migration.

NEC calls on the Government to expedite actions on harmonizing the emoluments of Medical Lecturers by ensuring universal applicability of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

The National Universities Commission (NUC) should give the Medical Fellowship the appropriate and age-long respect and recognition, failure of which will leave NEC with no option but to officially declare a lack of trust in the NUC and demand for the establishment of a Nigerian Medical Universities Commission (NMUC) to appropriately run the affairs of Medical Education in Nigeria.

NEC wishes to put all relevant stakeholders on a 21-day ultimatum with effect from Monday, 21“ October 2024 to 11 November 2024 to fully address all the above legitimate demands failure of which, NEC may not guarantee continuation of services by her members Nationwide.

Prof. Mohammad Amium Mohammad - President

Prof. Daiyabu Alhaji Ibrahim - Secretary General

SOURCE: DAILY TRUST NEWSPAPER

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