Don’t Japa - Health Minister Pleads With New Foreign-Trained Doctors

Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, encouraged the 416 foreign-trained medical graduates who were inducted on Thursday, January 25, not to abandon their country for opportunities abroad.

Out of the 416 medical and dental graduates who satisfied the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) examiners to boost the nation’s capacity for human resources in health, 70 percent of the inductees are women.

While urging the newly inducted individuals not to leave the country, Alausa assured them that the government is committed to creating a conducive environment for them to perform their duties, excel, and find fulfillment.

Alausa spoke in Abuja during the induction of the foreign-trained doctors by the Council where he assured that infrastructure would undergo enhancements and expansions, and working conditions would be upgraded to dissuade them from seeking opportunities elsewhere.

Alausa, represented by his special adviser, Ismaila Adiatu said: “Don’t japa, stay behind and help your country.

“We will provide an enabling environment for you to practice and be satisfied. We will improve the infrastructure, the conditions and the salary.

“Please don’t go, even if for your parents and your relatives, stay behind so that the field is not left for quacks.”

Adiatu, who disclosed that he left the country for the United States in 1989 and has since become a Professor of Medicine, emphasized restraints, stating that he had to return four months ago when called upon to serve in his home country.

Encouraging the new doctors to act as exemplary ambassadors, Adiatu expressed that he wouldn’t have accepted the appointment if the government hadn’t demonstrated its commitment to revitalizing the nation’s healthcare sector.

The guest lecturer, Prof. Christie Mato, the acting Vice Chancellor of Pamo University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, cautioned the inductees about the significant responsibilities associated with the title of medical doctor.

Encouraging them to fulfill their duties conscientiously, Mato emphasized the importance of acknowledging contemporary societal norms while urging the inductees to prioritize confidentiality, particularly in the age of social media, advising them to refrain from indiscriminately sharing patient information.

While stressing the importance of effective communication with patients, in addition to the necessity for mutual understanding, Mato emphasized the significance of humility in the demeanor of medical professionals, urging the inductees to demonstrate respect and sensitivity towards both patients and colleagues.

She said: “Be compassionate, do not turn your back on that elderly man in disgust because he had an accident and messed himself up; that may well be you tomorrow.

“Do not exploit your patient to make a quick buck; your patient has scurvy, do not tell him he has appendicitis and collect hundreds of thousands of naira from him.

“Be disciplined, be aware that good time management is critical to your call and don’t take cleanliness for granted even on very demanding days and nights.”

On his part, MDCN registrar, Tajudeen Sanusi, said that the importance of empathy in the profession to the inductees while urging them to be ready to practice medicine anywhere in the country without neglecting their commitment to ongoing learning and development.

He reiterated the importance of adhering to the rules governing the horsemanship program, stressing that resigning from the program would not be permitted.

According to the registrar, if a doctor resigns for any reason, they would have to restart the horsemanship from the beginning, with no expense borne by the government.

He also echoed the admonition of the Health Minister and the guest lecturer urging the inductees not to flee the country in search of pasture green.