MDCAN embarks on indefinite strike, demands withdrawal of NUC circular

SENIOR doctors under the aegis  of Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) at the University College Hospital (UCH) on Wednesday said they have stopped teaching medicine indefinitely to protest the National University Commission‘s insistence on introducing PhD for career progression for clinical lecturers in the nation’s universities.

Chairman, MDCAN, UCH branch, Dr Dare Olulana addressing the press said the resolve to embark on the strike was reached after the expiration a 21-day ultimatum given by its national body to authorities, including the NUC to withdraw the circular with reference number NUC/ES/138/VOL.63/52.

The media briefing had in attendance MDCAN’s vice chairman 1, Dr Victor Makanjuola, National Association of Resident Doctors, UCH branch, Dr Dayo Willams and executive members of University of Ibadan Medical Students’ Association (UIMSA) among others.

Dr Olulana said the circular on PhD for clinical lecturers was obnoxious and contrary to practice in the civilised world, where residency training programme culminating in the fellowship of the postgraduate medical colleges is the minimum requirement to teach clinical medicine.

He added:  “This is because the structure of medical education worldwide prioritises safe patient care over academic and purely theoretical knowledge.”

Olulana stated that although PhD is useful to individuals that choose a voluntary career path in research, it does not significantly translate into improved patient care skills or better ability to teach clinical medicine.

According to him, the NUC policy is without due consideration for the peculiarities of medical education which is focused on delivering quality patient care in safety and not just the acquisition of paper qualifications that have little or no bearing on practical patients management knowledge or skills.

Dr Olulana said adding the burden of compulsory acquisition of PhD qualification for clinical lecturers is superfluous and uncalled for since at no point has NUC identified any specific deficiency in the existing structure of medical education that it plans to correct by this decision.

He declared: “The implication of the NUC letter is that clinical lecturers would no longer enjoy career progression in the universities without obtaining a PhD. These categories of people are already highly sought after outside the country and this will further lead to a brain drain of senior doctors.”

Dr Olulana said that if MDCAN’s demand is not met, the body may pull out also from professional clinical services to its patients, urging for the intervention of Nigerians and the public to prevail on the NUC and the government to see reason and retrace its steps.