Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A memoranda from the Federal Ministry of Health seeking for approval of central coordination, placement, posting and funding of all medical and dental graduates to Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) accredited Housemanship and Internship training centres has been approved.
The approval was done by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting in Abuja presided over by the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.
With the approval, the enormous challenges fresh graduates face in securing placement for the one year mandatory programmes would be solved.
Over the years, due to constraints in the funding of the Housemanship and Internship training in Nigeria, a large number of fresh medical and dental graduates have not been able to undertake and complete the training within the allotted time limit thereby preventing them from becoming fully registered medical and dental practitioners ready for services within and outside Nigeria.
The Housemanship and Internship training is the last basic training hub of all fresh medical and dental graduates from Nigeria and foreign institutions.
These graduates are required by law to complete their uninterrupted 12 calendar months rotational Housemanship and Internship training and obtain a certificate of experience from any of the MDCN accredited training institutions.
On completion of the training, they are eligible to be placed on the full medical and dental register as provided in the Medical and Practitioners act Cap M8LFN 2004, Section 18, which will enable them to practice as medical and dental practitioners.
With FEC’s approval, the Federal Ministry of Health will work with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning and Federal Ministry of Finance to implement the programme to be domiciled in MDCN.
This would clear the large backlog of fresh medical and dental graduates that have been unable to undergo the training due to absence of central coordination, poor funding, and inability to pay salaries and allowances among others.
