The House of Representatives on Thursday passed through second reading, a Bill to mandate medical doctors to practice in Nigeria for at least five years after graduation before moving abroad.
The proposed legislation is titled, “bill for an Act to Amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Sponsored by Ganiyu Johnson (APC, Lagos), the bill seeks to mandate any Nigeria trained Medical or Dental Practitioner to Practice in Nigeria for a minimum of five before granted a full licence by the council in order to make quality health services available to Nigeria.
In his lead debate, Johnson said the proposed legislation seeks to cure the exodus of brain drain and build the manpower in medical sector.
He stated that Nigeria-trained medical or dental practitioners must work in the country for a minimum of five years before they are granted full licenses.
Nkem Abonta (PDP, Abia) opposed the bill saying:”What this bill is asking is offensive. The bill is asking that any Nigerian trained medical doctor must mandatory train five years before he can he be given license after qualification, you must work here compulsorily that’s not obtainable in any clime.”
But, Johnson argued that it was fair for medical practitioners who had benefited from taxpayer subsidies to undergo mandatory service for a minimum number of years in Nigeria before taking their skills abroad.
He said: “Government has invested so much money in training these medical doctors, on the average. Recently United kingdom opened healthcare visa to people, they were all going to UK, USA, Canada so should we fold our hands.
“So to give back to our society after training you, the least we can get from you after your housemanship before you’re given full license you practice for 5 years before you can go.”
Thereafter, the was passed after the debate as majority of the lawmakers supported it through voice vote.
Also, the lawmakers passed through second reading the Nigerian Data Protection Bill and police force college training schools and institutions establishment Bill.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday written to the House, urging the lawmakers to consider the bills.
Buhari in the letters explained that the data protection bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the protection of personal information and establish a data protection commission for the regulation of processing of personal information.
For the police force college training schools and institutions establishment Bill, the President said the bill seeks to provide a comprehensive institutional framework for the establishment of the Nigerian police force college for the provision of specialized training to officers in law enforcement to enhance their performance.