By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THE Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has advocated medical entrepreneurship on the part of doctors to earn additional income and the extension of the retirement age of consultants from 60 t o 70 years to check brain drain in the country.

 Addressing a press conference in Benin City yesterday where he read its communiqué after the MDCAN National Executive Committee (NEC), president of the association, Dr Victor Makanjuola flanked by other leaders said Nigeria risked serious deficit in training of medical doctors their suggestions are ignored.

He said many consultants are retiring from the service while younger ones who are expected to take over from them are running away from the country.

 He said: “We know it will be difficult for Nigeria to meet what doctors are earning abroad which at times is up to ten times their earnings here, but this can be reduced by creating an enabling environment for doctors especially consultants to work. Medical entrepreneurship is a gold deposit yet to be substantially mined by the stakeholders in Nigeria.

Tapping into this great opportunity has the potential to reverse the Brain Drain and attract inward Brain Gain. Medical entrepreneurship would allow doctors to go into robust private practice in addition to their official hours to earn more income and remain in the country.”

He however said the association would not hesitate to sanction any member who uses his or her official hours for private practice.

 On retirement age for consultants, Makanjuola said “Consultants retire at 60, many young doctor are going away from the country, we are calling on the government to increase the retirement age for consultants from 60 to 70 years so that there will more hands to train younger ones otherwise we may get to a situation where there will not be enough hands to train medical personnel because we could have a situation where the middle level doctor are going away while the experienced consultants will be retiring from service.

   “We once more appeal to the National Assembly to throw away the obnoxious bill seeking to amend the Teaching Hospital Act in its entirety.”

The association also backed the Nigerian Medical Associaton’s (NMA) ultimatum to the Abia state government over 24 months non-payment of doctors’ salaries.