On the 25th and 26th of October 2024, the Medical Association of Nigeria Across Great Britain (MANSAG) held her 27th Annual Scientific Conference and Genral Meeting at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.
This year’s theme titled, “The Future of Healthcare – A Global Perspective” offered a wide range of globally accomplished knowledgeable speakers on different issues (such as health security, technology, research, AI use in healthcare, multidimensional collaboration, moral imperative and economic burden) currently affecting medical professionals and contributing to the future of healthcare for Nigerians in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and other Nigerian Diaspora.
During the plenary session by the keynote speaker (Mr Douglas Emeka Okor), he highlighted the various problems riddling the struggling Nigerian healthcare milieu, and how the system can be transformed through the “glocal” – global and local – approach. Specifically reiterating the role of Nigerian diaspora healthcare professionals in this. After showing the sequence of the different laudable policies and projects launched by the presidency and ministry concerning health in Nigeria, he called for “positive pressure from the Diaspora to the Nigerian Governments and administration” by asking relevant questions and following up on the implementation process of these projects and polices aimed at transforming our healthcare sector. Largely because “the Nigerian patients are worth it” and “only Nigerians can transform Nigeria for Nigerians”.
Prior to this keynote address, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) Registrar/CEO – Dr Fatimah Kyari – shared the organisational vision for the Nigerian medical and dental professionals’ home and abroad, as well as the plan to expand, digitise and excellently improve medical training and practice in Nigeria. Likewise emphasising the need for the Nigerian Diaspora Medical practitioner to invest in the Nigerian medical sector and the golden opportunity created by the council for Nigerian doctors in the UK, who have defaulted from renewing their practicing licence in Nigeria for more than 10 years, to stay registered up to date on the MDCN licence register.
She explained that regardless of how many years or decades they’ve defaulted, the limited offer (till the end of this year) allows the payment of a flat rate for 10 years without the accumulated surcharge rates i.e. simply paying the annual renewal fee of 20,000NGN for 10 years (summing up to 200,000NGN flat rate) clears up all debts and registers them up to date. This allows them the complete access to medical practice in the country legally.
According to her, “it’s an offence to practice medicine or give instructions for medical practice in Nigeria from abroad, without appropriate registration and up to date practicing licensure”.
She as well urged all medical professionals to stay true to ethical practice wherever they find themselves home and abroad. Citing the example of a colleague who was recently struck of the GMC register for a reprimandable reason and made the statement that his offence was “acceptable in Nigeria”. She cleared stated that this is untrue and the colleague – who didn’t even train in Nigeria – has been summoned to show evidence backing his claim and where such unethical practice is acceptable in the country.
“If a doctor is struck off a medical council register anywhere, he or she cannot come back to work in Nigeria as a practicing Doctor. Because people usually think we – in Nigeria – are the low hanging fruit they can always come back to. As the process of being struck off a register is a globally standardized process…” ~ Dr Fatimah Kyari (MBBS, FWACS, FMCOph, MSc, PhD, FNAMed), MDCN Registrar/CEO.
Further into the conference, during the special presentations by professional bodies based in the United Kingdom. Especially those focused on members welfarism and immigrants with the brown and black community, for example, the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN), as well as the British Medical Association (BMA) and General Medical Council (GMC). A recurring challenge identified across the medical and healthcare delivery system, causing a lot of negative experiences and disadvantages within the UK healthcare workplace, was the issue of discrimination and inequality. Which is not only faced by Nigerian healthcare professionals in diaspora but also affecting other brown and black immigrants. Hence, the common recommendation by these organisations to tackle these issues, was to continually bring them to light, by speaking up about them, reporting to the appropriate authorities and following through till the right things are done, and justice is served.
Concluding the conference was the Gala night ceremony, were the new executive members of MANSAG were introduced and the outgoing national executive committee led by Dr Chris Agbo were applauded for their impactful administration. The new executive committee are:
Dr Jideofor Menakaya – President
Mr Andrew Alalade – Secretary
Dr Raymond Ladele – Financial Secretary
Dr Mosun Fapohunda – Treasurer
Dr Ugochi Nnaji – Publicity Secretary
Dr Oge Ilozue – Welfare and Social Secretary
Dr Fatimah Adamu-Biu – Junior Doctor’s Representative
Pharm Fumilayo Ogunremi – Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Representative
Editor’s note:
This article was collated by Medical Mirror Correspondent, Dr Mary O. Agoyi Awoniyi.
