Medical and dental students under the aegis of Nigerian Medical Students’ Association (NiMSA), the student arm of the Nigerian Medical Association says the proposed bill to mandate Nigerian trained medical or dental practitioners to practice for a minimum of 5 years being granted a full license to practice abroad should be withdrawn because it is aimed at strangulating the medical profession and to make a mockery of her autonomy.
President of NiMSA, Mr Clement Ejim declared that the bill is unpatriotic, ill-timed and a breach of the fundamental human rights of doctors as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria because it is seeking to enslave Nigeria trained doctors and paralyse the healthcare system.
He said if the bill is passed, it will also discourage students from pursuing medical education in Nigeria, which will further exacerbate the problem of the shortage of healthcare professionals.
According to Mr Ejim, “the search for greener pastures abroad can be reduced by making our land and pasture green, properly equipping our hospitals, and better treatment for doctors. Representative Ganiyu Johnson at this point should be steering conversations on medical tourism and not doctor slavery.
“the intention behind the sponsorship of this bill does not take into consideration the root causes of brain drain in Nigeria. The issue of brain drain is multifaceted and requires a more comprehensive approach to tackle it,
“Instead of trying to forcefully take doctors as slaves, the lawmakers should be focusing on creating an enabling environment that encourages doctors to stay and work in Nigeria.
“Government has no right to force doctors to work in a particular location against their will, it is an affront to their autonomy and choice. Besides, not all doctors in the country are trained on subsidy; one thing the bill failed to capture.”
In a remark by the President Nigeria Association of Dental Students (NADS), Mr Usman Hamza, stated that the bill does not identify the root cause of exodus of dentists out of Nigeria but rather shows oppression and slavery towards medical and dental practitioners seeking for greener pastures where there practice is much valued.
According to Mr Hamza, the bill is an attempt to impose oppressive laws against young doctors and will be counterproductive in the long run.
“the bill is a targeted form of selective oppression with a brazen lack of empathy, recognition and appreciation of the hard work and challenges we face during the course of our studies. Majority of us spent 8 years in school, as against 6 years designed by NUC and MDCN for their degrees due to preventable factors, including incessant strikes.
“I can tell you that there are some people that don’t have the idea of going abroad to work, but with this bill, they too have started thinking of going abroad. You have clearly shown that you don’t care what challenges we are facing like lack of proper enumeration and good work environment. All you just want is to forcefully engage us. It is like you are given 5 years to prepare to go abroad, too. The exodus will even be more than you are seeing now.”
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