Speaking at the induction in Abuja, Minister of State for Health, Oloruunimbe Mamora announced that the MDCN is now charged with the responsibility of posting, placement and payment of house officers’ emoluments instead of Federal Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres as obtained in the past.

 He said it is significant that 1021 practitioners who were successful at the November 2020 assessment exam organized by the MDCN and the University College Hospital Ibadan will give a boost to the group of medical personnel in the country adding that the MDCN is discussing with select teaching hospitals in the six geopolitical zones to create opportunities to further equip the skills and knowledge of returning medical and dental graduates before participating in the assessment examination.

He noted that in order to ensure that the new practitioners are well trained, the federal government has approved funds in this year’s budget for the payment of house officers effective from January 2021.

Mamora stated that the Federal government envisions affordable and accessible Universal health care for all Nigerians irrespective of their social status and had unveiled nine deliverable priorities for the health sector in the next four years to include mandatory health and universal insurance in collaboration with state governments, Oprationalise the Basic Healthcare Provisions Fund, recruitment and deployment of community health extension workers and revamping of federal Teaching Hospitals across the country among others.

He congratulated the inductees and told them that the profession has made them representatives of God on earth.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Council, Abba Waziri Hassan, told the inductees that by law they are not supposed to join any association until they are fully registered as doctors adding that they are on probation for now and therefore should not belong to any union or join strikes.

Guardian