Private medical practitioners reject Reps 5-yr compulsory service bill

More stakeholders have continued to kick against a proposed bill before the House of Representatives seeking to compel medical and dental school graduates in the country to compulsorily serve within Nigeria for five years before obtaining license to practice independently or migrate, as the private medical practitioners have weighed in on the move.

Earlier, last Friday, the medical student under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA) described the proposed bill as ‘unpatriotic and a breach of the fundamental human right of doctors.’

On Monday, another stakeholders’ group, the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) suggested that the legislators should rather declare a national emergency in the country’s heath care sector instead of the proposed bill.

It would be recalled that Hon. Ganiyu Johnson (APC- Oshodi-Isolo II Federal Constituency, Lagos) had proposed the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act 2004, and seeks to compel medical school to compulsorily serve within the country for five years before being granted a full license to practice.

Hon. Johnson’s proposal was presented under the title; ‘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.’

The bill which passed its second reading on the floor of House Thursday, was referred to the House Committee on Health for final input before passing.

Since the proposal of the bill, last week, on the floor of the House of Representatives, interest groups have condemned the move.

Reacting, Monday, the ANPMP, through its National President, Dr Kayode Adesola, said the proposed bill would have an adverse effect on the health sector as it was premised on the wrong notion that such a measure would solve brain drain in the sector.

According to Adesola, the proponents of the bill did not conduct an in-depth research on the factors driving the brain drain crisis nor engaged health stakeholders on the implications before moving such a bill.

He further posited that the bill would worsen brain drain in the country, noting that ‘medical doctors don’t need Nigerian license to practice in other countries.’

“We keep saying that the health sector needs urgent attention. Our health system is not working and many Nigerians are dying because of the underfunding of the sector.

“We have teaching hospitals, general hospitals and primary healthcare centres that are dilapidated with outdated equipment.

“Political leaders are seeking medical treatment abroad while the citizens are left to suffer in a country that has one of the best doctors in the world.

“Before it was the young doctors leaving but now, the consultants are leaving. Many health workers left because of insecurity, not just poor remuneration or poor working conditions.

“Insecurity is impacting negatively on the health of Nigerians and the ability of healthcare workers to deliver services to Nigerians

“Asides the medical doctor that was killed at his clinic on Dec.31, 2022; two other doctors have also been killed and nothing has been done to rectify the situation,” he said.

Adesola who said the issue of brain drain was multifaceted and requires a more comprehensive approach to tackle it, maintained that declaring an emergency in the health sector would assist to proffer sustainable solutions to attrition of health workers, improved health care facilities, reduced disease burden among others.

It would b recalled that while earlier reacting to the bill, last Friday, in a statement signed by its President, Ejim Egba, NiMSA, the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA) described the proposed legislation as intended 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.