.As MDCN inducts Ngige’s son, five other
Federal Government has charged newly inducted medical graduates to desist from joining incessant strikes by Doctors in the country.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige gave this charge in Abuja while speaking at the induction of six medical graduates of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) into the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
Ngige whose son, Dr Andrew Ngige was among the new inductees, urged the medical graduates to be of good behaviour and uphold the highest ethical standards while carrying out their duties.
He reminded them that the medical profession is a noble one and hence, they should abstain from any conduct which is capable of bringing their esteemed profession to disrepute.
He said, “I am a medical doctor. One of you being inducted here is my second son. My first son is a medical doctor. My daughter is also a medical doctor. By virtue of ethics, our oath as doctors is to save lives. That is our primary duty.
“If doctors go on strike, people die. That is the truth. Human life is irreplaceable. How do you bring back people who have died as a result of doctors not being at their duty posts?
“It is unethical for doctors to embark on strike. I have said it so many times in the past and I will continue to say it. Doctors should not go on strike. Therefore, you should desist from joining strikes in the interest of humanity and our noble profession.”
Earlier, the Registrar MDCN, Tajudeen Sanusi told the inductees that they were ethically bounded to do certain things as medical Doctors, warning that anything contrary to that would attract the hammer of the council.
Other dignitaries at the induction ceremony include Ngige’s wife and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Evelyn Ngige and the Dean, College of Medicine, University of Abuja, Felicia Anumah.
Meanwhile , Analysis of data obtained from the General Medical Council of Britain has revealed that 805 Nigeria-trained doctors were licensed between July and December 25, 2021.
Also, the number of Nigerian-trained doctors in the United Kingdom increased to 9,189.
The figure is aside from the number of Nigerian doctors trained and practising in the UK.
The GMB is the regulatory body responsible for licensing doctors for practice in the UK.×
In June, 8,384 Nigerian doctors had been licensed while the number of Nigeria-trained specialists and consultants who migrate have continued to increase over the years.
In September, it was reported that Saudi Arabia organised a recruitment interview for consultants and specialists in Abuja.
According to the data made available by the council, 233 Nigerian doctors passed the examination to practise in the UK in 2015.
The number increased to 279 in 2016 while the figure was 475 in 2017.
In 2018, the figure rose to 852 and further increased to 1,347 in 2019.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, during his budget defence had proposed a bond of nine years for health workers in a bid to curb brain drain.
According to the data, 1,968 of the doctors were currently undergoing training, 1,560 were general
