The house of representatives has asked the Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to allow final-year medical students that completed
their examinations in Ukraine before the invasion, to register with the
council.
The lower legislative chamber also wants fifth-year medical
students evacuated from Ukraine to be absorbed into medical schools in Nigerian
universities to complete their programmes.
The resolution was passed during the plenary session on
Tuesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance
sponsored by Tajudeen Yusuf from Kogi.
On June 17, MDCN had said it will not honour medical and
dental degrees from Ukrainian universities obtained from 2022 “until when
normal academic activities resume”.
MDCN had advised “students who are currently studying
medicine or dentistry in Ukranian medical schools to seek transfer to other
accredited medical or dental schools in other countries for the completion of
their programmes”.
“In addition, Council’s attention has been drawn to
information that some students are carrying out online medical training being
organised by schools in Ukraine, China and some other countries,” the council
had said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Council categorically states
that online medical training done in any part of the world is short of an
acceptable standard and is not recognised by the MDCN.”
While moving his motion, Yusuf said some of the students
have “completed or are still on the mandatory clinic attachment which commenced
in April 2022”.
“Contrary to the impression the MDCN is creating, the vast
majority of these students either in years 3 to 6, only did online
study/training for a few months in 2020 due to COVID-19 which happened all over
the world, and in the past three months as a result of the ongoing war between
Ukraine and Russia,” the lawmaker said.
“There are thousands of Nigerian youths studying medicine
and related courses in Ukrainian universities, who by the MDCN regulation would
not only be affected but their academic pursuits may be thrown into serious
jeopardy.
“The bulk of these medical students having spent between
four to six years in the pursuit of their respective academic and professional
ambitions, going by the MDCN regulation, are at serious risk of not only losing
these years of rigorous training but huge financial losses to their parents.”
According to the legislator, the MDCN’s position will
“truncate the academic dreams and professional ambitions of thousands of
Nigeria medical students in Ukraine” as a result of the policy.
He said MDCN’s position should not be allowed to stand
because the country is facing a shortage of medical personnel, and the
situation may get worse if the MDCN rollout “an insidious policy that may have
debilitating consequences on the nation’s health sector”.
The motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by
Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house.
The house subsequently asked the council to “allow students
in the fifth year of their medical programmes in Ukraine to be absorbed into
medical schools in Nigerian universities to complete their sixth year”.
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