By Hassan Hussain
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, on Tuesday inducted 250 foreign-trained medical and dental graduates into professional practice, with a strong appeal for them to remain in the country and help reverse the trend of brain drain in the health sector.
The induction ceremony in Abuja followed the graduates’ successful completion of the council’s mandatory assessment and orientation programme.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, urged the new doctors to resist Japa and channel their expertise toward improving healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Represented by the Director and Head of the Dentistry Division, Dr. Gloria Uzoigwe, the Minister assured the inductees of government’s commitment to improving welfare and working conditions for health workers. He stressed that empathy, professionalism and ethical conduct are non-negotiable for quality care.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo, also reminded the inductees that patients’ trust depends not only on clinical skill but on attitude and compassion.
In his address, MDCN Chairman, Professor Afolabi Lesi, congratulated the 250 graduates for meeting the council’s requirements and charged them to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.
Responding on behalf of the inductees, Dr. Aisha Dangabi pledged their commitment to selfless service and to the ethics of the medical and dental profession.
With the induction, the graduates are now licensed to practice medicine and dentistry in Nigeria in line with MDCN regulations.
