Disney Nwanne Foundation has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently reconstitute the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) board.
The MDCN is responsible for regulating the practice of medicine and dentistry in Nigeria, and its board has been vacant since the expiration of the terms of its previous members in 2020.
Convener of Disney Nwanne Foundation, Martins Obi Nwanne, in a statement at the weekend in Abuja, said: “The absence of a properly constituted MDCN board is a serious threat to patient safety in Nigeria.
“The MDCN is responsible for setting standards for medical and dental education, licensing doctors and dentists, and investigating complaints of professional misconduct. Without a board in place, these essential functions are being neglected.”
Disney Nwanne Foundation is a patients’ rights advocacy non-profit organisation that works to protect the rights of patients and improves the relationship between patients and their caregivers in Nigeria.
The foundation provides education and resources to patients, and advocates for reforms to the Nigerian healthcare system
According to the foundation, the lack of a properly constituted MDCN board has led to a number of problems, including: delays in processing applications for medical and dental licenses, backlog of complaints of professional misconduct and lack of oversight of medical and dental schools.
The problems are putting patients at risk, for example, without a properly constituted MDCN board, it is more difficult for patients to ensure that their doctors and dentists are properly trained and licensed. Additionally, it is more difficult for patients to file complaints against doctors and dentists who have committed professional misconduct to conclusive effect.
“The Federal Government has a responsibility to protect the health and safety of its citizens. By failing to reconstitute the MDCN board, the government is failing to meet this responsibility,” Nwanne said.
Disney Nwanne Foundation urged the Federal Government to take immediate action to reconstitute the MDCN board as the health and safety of Nigerian patients depend on it.