COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 3RD PLENARY MEETING OF THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL COUNCIL OF NIGERIA (MDCN) HELD ON THURSDAY, 7TH AUGUST, 2014, AT THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL COUNCIL HOUSE, KAURA DISTRICT, ABUJA.

The 3rd Plenary meeting of the Medical and Dental Council Of Nigeria (MDCN was declared open by the Honourable Minister of Health represented by the Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan.

The Honourable Minister's address captured the mood of the entire nation as he stressed on the Federal Government's commitment to containing the Ebola virus epidemic along with its efforts to bring and end to the crisis in the health sector.

At the end of the plenary meeting, the Council took the following decisions:

1. Council commended the efforts of the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government in containing the spread of the establishment of isolation centres in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). 

2. The MDCN mandated its State Monitoring Committees (SMCs) to liaise with thier State Governments to immediately set up emergency response teams for the prevention an treatment of any outbreak of the Ebola virus in their various states.

3. The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Council commended the decision of the Nigerian Medical Assocition (NMA) to suspend the strike action in the face of the challenges and threats posed by the outbreak of the Ebola virus. It also urged other affiliate bodies within the NMA to toe the ine of the umbrella body in the interest of the profession and the country.

4. Council upheld the suspension of Oba Okunade Sijuade College of Health Sciences, Igbinedion University Okada, Edo State and its subsequent ban on admission of fresh students into the Medical School.Council further directed the institution to firm out all the existing students to other accredited the institution to firm out all the existing students to other accredited Medical schools to complete their programmes as they will no longer be allowed to participate in the Council's Assessment Examination. This decision supersedes Council's advertisement on the list of Medical Schools in the Guardian and Daily Trust Newspapers of Thursday 7th August, 2014. This suspension will last until all the identified inadequacies are corrected and the College is ready the training of medical students.

5. Council reterated its guidelines on registration of expatriate medical and dental Doctors who are expected to complete their registration with the Medical and Dental Council Nigeia before they are allowed to undertake any clinical duty in Nigeria. It appealed to the Chief Executive of each state and other stakeholders to join the MDCN to enforce this regulation.

6. Coucil appealed to the State Governors for the upgrade off General Hospital (secondary care) in their carious states to meet up the minimum standards for training of Interns. It also requested them to continue to provide logistical support for the MDCN State Monitoring Committess.

Signed

Professor J.C.Azubuike 

Chairman of Council 

Dr. A.A Ibrahim, Mni 

Registrar/Secretary to Council