By SOLA OGUNDIPE
NIGERIAN health practitioners under the aegis of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM , have kicked against the involvement of the Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria, MDCN, in policy formulations of the Federal Ministry of Health.

Instead, they have called for  establishment of a Central Alternative Medical Board to regulate alternative medicine in the country, saying such move was the only way to move the practice of complementary and alternative medicine forward in the country.

At a well-attended stakeholders’ forum in Lagos , members of the  Forum implored the National Assembly to pass the Bill for “An Act To Establish the Complementary and Alternative Medical Council of Nigeria to Promote the growth and Regulate the Practice of Alternative Medicine and for other Matters connected Therewith” which has gone through its second reading.

In an all-inclusive statement issued afterwards, the Forum insisted that it was imperative to stop the imbroglio in the practice by an immediate implementation of a Lagos State High Court  Order of October 4, 1994 over a suit No LD378792 filed   by the Registered Trustees of All Nigeria Homoeopathic Medical  Association (representing CAM) against the Attorney General of the  Federation and the Federal Ministry of Health and Human Resources.

The order, among other things is for the Federal Ministry of Health to establish a Central Alternative Medical Board to regulate Alternative  Medicine; adding that in fairness, Homoeopathy, that is, Complementary  and Alternative Medical Practitioners should not be in the same Council with the orthodox Medical practitioners.

The Forum observed that the MDCN is not versed in matters of complementary and alternative medicine, and in the last 20 years, had not in any way advanced the course of alternative medicine even though the body is tasked with the control and supervision of  the practice..

The CAM stakeholders therefore made an appeal to the Federal Ministry of Health to discontinue relying on MDCN on matters of policy/meetings affecting CAM and its practitioners in Nigeria adding that only a separate Council  for CAM was the ultimate solution.

The body’s newly elected National Coordinator, Dr Isaac Ayodele and the Secretary, Dr. Gilbert Ezengige, who were mandated to liaise with notable elders and opinion leaders in CAM to harmonise all the Associations towards realisation of formation of an acceptable umbrella body for the practice