Medical Assessment Exams : We can never compromise standard- MDCN Registrar.

…says health of Nigerians is our concern

AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has said no amount of blackmail would push the council in to compromising  the health of Nigerians but rather continue to maintain the ethics and standard expected of the regulatory body.

The council said its mandate is to ensure that only those who meet  the requirements and standard of medical and dental practices in the country would be allowed  to operate in the field in the country.

The reaction followed the issues raised by the foreign medical candidates who participated in their home country competence examination as only about 349  out of 853  foreign candidates  who sat for the MDCN examination, passed the examination tagged, compulsory Assessment examination.

Responding to complains of the candidates in an interview with health correspondents in Abuja, the Registrar of the Council, Tajudeen  Sunusi said the successful candidates were those who had good basic sciences foundation from Nigeria.

He stated that the complainants were those that were not fully equipped with basic sciences background before traveling to abroad for medical studies.

The MDCN registrar stressed that the examination was compulsory  to safeguard the health of Nigerians, adding that the Council will never compromise standard.

Sanusi noted that contrary to the public perception that is being painted  by candidates who did not meet the requirements expected of them for the compulsory  assessment examination,  the council only allows the best hands to handle the health situation of Nigerians.

The  Registrar said, ” the assessment exams is a global affair in the sense that if a medical student  qualifies from one jurisdiction and wants to practice in another jurisdiction, we   must test your level of competence for the safety of the society you want to practice in. “

He further said, ” We are dealing with the health of people and something that is peculiar about health it is that, once a patient  is dead , that life is lost forever.

” We must take necessary precautions to ensure that whoever comes for care of their health should be competent enough to handle them.”

The Registrar maintained that “for this reason , if only two out of 800 candidates pass the assessment exam , what matters is that the Council as the Regulatory Body of Doctors must not go below expected   standards  of practice.

“We are never driven by the number of mass failure, no.”

Sunusi said, contrary to rumours of protest by candidates who failed the recent assessment exams written in Sokoto, there was nothing of such but that the Council was invited by the joint  Committe on Health of the National Assembly,  comprising of the Senate and the House of Representatives to  explain the six months mandatory Attachment Programme for foreign trained Medical and Dental graduates.

According to him, the invitation was on the heels of the mass failure of foreign trained doctors in the last five years.

He explained that the Council discovered that most of the candidates  lack basic  sciences  which is a prereqsuisite to study medicine and dentistry, adding that even  those with science background had weak passes.

The MDCN Registrar hinted that those wishing to study medicine must have high grades like “As” to qualify for the studies.

He expressed worry that  Nigerian students would rather go to foreign countries to study medical and dental courses without making necessary inquiries.

He said , “We  have the responsibility to safeguard the health of our people. This is a regulated profession and we have to safeguard the health of the public.”

In line with the mandate of the Council, Tajudeen disclosed that a Professor’s name was moved out of the professional register  and also another professor was tried by the Council for different degree of offences.

He explained that all is geared towards ensuring that no life is lost through negligence of anyone registered  as a medical and dental practitioner by the professional Council.

Talking about the unexpected performance and ways to salvage the trend, he  explained that  the Council has setup a Committee outside members of the Council drawn from some medical schools across the country in the six geo- political zones that came up with the recommendation that candidates should be exposed to six months   mandatory attachment programme before they can be eligible to sit for the MDCN  pre- registration examination.

He said that the objective of the six months attachment programme was to assess their competence to handle cases that are prevalent in the jurisdiction.

“It is of note that  MDCN  is the only Regulatory body that can put those things in place”, he emphasized.

He maintained that  MDCN is the only Regulatory Body that is trying it’s members in public , adding that “the public is not being fair to us”.

The Registrar said “they will continue to make noise because they want to shortcuts to become doctors in this county, but we will not allow it.”

He blamed parents and even state governments for sending children overseas to study medicine without making proper findings to guide them.

He said, “after they must have spent so much money they will begin to complain when their children  fail Council exams”.

Referring to the mandatory six months attachment programme for foreign trained Doctors in designated health institutions, the MDCN boss said that the Council  has not asked students to pay those institutions, neither is it  involved in the monetary aspect.

“Ours is to ensure that they have proper orientation, adequate

 knowledge and competence to address the health issues in this country”.

On quackery in the country, the MDCN Registrar said “quacks are often arrested and handed over to the law enforcement agency and tried in the law courts”.

He however lamented that the Police do not even contact the Council before the  criminals  are released.