The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has urged the government to stop appointing non‑doctors to consultant positions in hospitals. The appeal was made in a communique issued at the close of the association’s Biennial Delegates’ Meeting and Scientific Conference in Enugu. Prof. Apollos Ndukuba, the newly elected President of MDCAN, warned that this practice could create an unhealthy work environment and undermine patient care. The association also voiced concern that medical professors are being disenfranchised from contesting for vice‑chancellor positions in universities.
MDCAN called on the government to adopt measures that improve the welfare and working conditions of doctors and other health professionals, arguing that such steps would help retain human resources for health and alleviate the current economic hardship. The communique outlined several resolutions, including the need to increase manpower production and to provide matching personnel and infrastructure for training. It also urged the government to finance a 50 % subsidy in hospitals to lower the cost of healthcare provision and to prioritize the welfare of doctors and other healthcare workers, especially at the state level.
The association highlighted the “Japa syndrome” – the mass exodus of Nigerian doctors abroad – which leaves the remaining doctors overstretched and forced to neglect their own health needs. MDCAN observed that the continued appointment of consultants from professions allied to medicine has caused confusion and chaos in hospitals, jeopardising patient care and safety. Although a 50 % electricity subsidy for public hospitals was publicly announced, its implementation has not begun, threatening the goal of affordable healthcare for Nigerians.
MDCAN also expressed worry about attempts by other healthcare professionals to assume duties traditionally performed by doctors. The newly elected executives include Prof. Apollos Ndukuba as President, Prof. Sani Adamu as Vice President 1, and Dr. Augustustine N. Duru as Secretary General.
The significance of MDCAN’s call to action lies in its potential to address the challenges facing Nigeria’s healthcare system. By prioritizing the welfare of doctors and other health professionals, the government can move toward providing affordable, quality healthcare services to Nigerians. Stakeholders in the health sector will be closely watching the implementation of these resolutions, which could have a substantial impact on the country’s health outcomes.
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