2 weeks Ago By Idowu Abdullahi
Idowu Abdullahi Health professionals have recommended an open register of doctors practising in the country to tackle quackery and unprofessionalism in the medical profession. They said that with the availability of open registers, patients and the healthcare community would be able to ascertain details of any doctor they’re consulting or working within any organisation. Speaking exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise , a Neurosurgery Senior Registrar at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State, Abass Ajayi, said the unavailability of a public registry for licensed doctors was fuelling quackery.
The surgeon said it was time the practitioners and general public turned to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and demanded a public register of licensed doctors in the country. “This (quackery) is a real problem. We need to hold the Medical and Dental Council accountable.
There should be a public database of all licensed doctors and other certified practitioners in Nigeria. Anyone should be able to verify a name online. “That’s why I keep saying—we need reform.
In developed countries, you can’t just show up and treat someone. Even if someone has a headache or fever, if you’re not licensed, you can’t treat them,” he said. The neurosurgeon, however, urged MDCN to ensure public access to the licensed practitioners’ registry, adding that the move would ensure Nigerians can verify physicians who are duly licensed to operate in the country.
“There should be a public database of all licensed doctors and other certified practitioners in Nigeria. Anyone should be able to verify a name online. It should be as easy as typing a name into a search bar.
“In the UK, you can go to the GMC website and type in someone’s name—you’ll see their license and current status. Same thing in other countries where some of us are also licensed. “But here, in Nigeria, where many of us practice daily, we can’t even confirm if someone is real, and the integrity of our profession is being eroded.
It’s a shame,” he said. On his part, a licensed medical practitioner and MPH candidate in the United Kingdom, Dr. Izuchukwu Nwachukwu, said it was important for the MDCN to ensure open access to doctors available in the country.
According to him, the advent of social media has made infiltration of unlicensed doctors into the profession, with most exploiting online avenues to gain relevance. “There needs to be an open registry that is accessible to the public, where you can enter the doctor’s name or any available information and verify them. In fact, patients should be able to confirm whether a doctor is registered with the MDCN.
“If the MDCN doesn’t implement something similar, we will keep facing the same problem. I think that’s one clear way they can address the issue (of quackery): create and maintain a public register. “Every single doctor practising medicine in Nigeria should be registered with the MDCN, and this information should be public.
It could include the doctor’s registration number, full name, location, whatever is necessary. Even just the name and registration number should be enough to let patients verify the doctor’s identity and license.” Copyright PUNCH All rights reserved.
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