Medical students in Nigeria
Medical students call proposed mandatory service bill ‘breach of fundamental human right of doctors’
Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA) says the proposed Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to make graduates in medical and dental fields compulsorily render services within Nigeria for five years before being granted a full license is ‘unpatriotic and a breach of the fundamental human right of doctors.’
Sponsor of the motion, Ganiyu Johnson (APC/Lagos), had during Thursday plenary, said the bill is intended to check the mass exodus of medical professionals from the country.
The legislation is titled; ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Mandate Any Nigeria Trained Medical or Dental Practitioner to Practice in Nigeria for a Minimum of Five Years Before Granted a Full License by the Council in Order to Make Quality Health Services Available to Nigeria; and for Related Matters.’
According to the legislator, the country has been going through one of the worst situations of brain drain in its history with many doctors leaving the country to seek greener.
While the Federal Government insists that brain drain is not peculiar to Nigeria, the World Health Organisation warned that this could negatively impact the health systems and hinder progress toward achieving universal health coverage and health security.
However, reacting in a statement signed by its President, Ejim Egba, NiMSA, described the proposed legislation as ‘unpatriotic, ill-timed, and a breach of the fundamental human right of doctors as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended),’ adding that the bill is further aimed at ‘strangulating the medical profession.’
“The search for greener pastures abroad can be reduced by making our land and pasture green, properly equipping our hospitals, better treatment for doctors and the brain drain will be adequately controlled. Rep. Johnson at this point should be steering conversations on medical tourism and not doctor slavery. We firmly believe that this bill is not the solution to the problem of brain drain, and we stand against it in its entirety in the strongest possible terms.
“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.
“The lack of infrastructure, inadequate and inappropriate remuneration, and poor working conditions are some of the major factors driving medical professionals away from Nigeria. These issues need to be addressed if we want to attract and retain our healthcare professionals; make our land green.
“We also unequivocally state that this bill will discourage students from pursuing medical education in Nigeria, which will further exacerbate the problem of the shortage of healthcare professionals.
“A better way to bring up the issue of being trained with ‘taxpayer subsidies’ would be to have it optional, the option of paying for medical education at the real cost value, the option of obtaining student loans, and also the option of going for the subsidised medical education with the caveat of staying behind for a certain number of years to ‘pay back.
“Besides, not all doctors in the country are trained on subsidy; one thing the bill failed to capture. Doctors need to have a choice, even before they start their training so they can make better, informed decisions.
“Additionally, we strongly believe that the bill is arbitrary in nature and totally unconstitutional- it deprives the Nigerian-trained medical and dental practitioners of their fundamental right to freedom of movement by arbitrarily imposing restrictions on their movements against the provision of Section 41 the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In conclusion, NiMSA vehemently opposes this bill in part and in one whole. We call on the Sponsor of the bill to withdraw it with immediate effect and seek better ways of finding a lasting solution to the problem of brain drain by consultative collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the health sector coupled with the government’s willingness to address the root causes and underlying issues that drive healthcare professionals away from Nigeria,” the NiMSA statement read.
