Reps want medical students evacuated from Ukraine absorbed into Nigerian varsities

The house of representatives has asked the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to allow final-year medical students that completed their examinations in Ukraine before the invasion, to register with the council.

The lower legislative chamber also wants fifth-year medical students evacuated from Ukraine to be absorbed into medical schools in Nigerian universities to complete their programmes.

The resolution was passed during the plenary session on Tuesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Tajudeen Yusuf from Kogi.

On June 17, MDCN had said it will not honour medical and dental degrees from Ukrainian universities obtained from 2022 “until when normal academic activities resume”.

MDCN had advised “students who are currently studying medicine or dentistry in Ukranian medical schools to seek transfer to other accredited medical or dental schools in other countries for the completion of their programmes”.

“In addition, Council’s attention has been drawn to information that some students are carrying out online medical training being organised by schools in Ukraine, China and some other countries,” the council had said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Council categorically states that online medical training done in any part of the world is short of an acceptable standard and is not recognised by the MDCN.”

NOTICE ON STATUS OF MEDICAL DEGREE CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY UKRAINIAN MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN 2022 AND ONLINE MEDICAL TRAINING 1/6

cc @nmanigeria @Fmohnigeria

— Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (@MDCNOfficial) June 17, 2022

While moving his motion, Yusuf said some of the students have “completed or are still on the mandatory clinic attachment which commenced in April 2022”.

“Contrary to the impression the MDCN is creating, the vast majority of these students either in years 3 to 6, only did online study/training for a few months in 2020 due to COVID-19 which happened all over the world, and in the past three months as a result of the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia,” the lawmaker said. 

“There are thousands of Nigerian youths studying medicine and related courses in Ukrainian universities, who by the MDCN regulation would not only be affected but their academic pursuits may be thrown into serious jeopardy.

“The bulk of these medical students having spent between four to six years in the pursuit of their respective academic and professional ambitions, going by the MDCN regulation, are at serious risk of not only losing these years of rigorous training but huge financial losses to their parents.”

According to the legislator, the MDCN’s position will “truncate the academic dreams and professional ambitions of thousands of Nigeria medical students in Ukraine” as a result of the policy.

He said MDCN’s position should not be allowed to stand because the country is facing a shortage of medical personnel, and the situation may get worse if the MDCN rollout “an insidious policy that may have debilitating consequences on the nation’s health sector”.

The motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house.

The house subsequently asked the council to “allow students in the fifth year of their medical programmes in Ukraine to be absorbed into medical schools in Nigerian universities to complete their sixth year”.