The Medical and Dental Specialists Association in Basic Medical Sciences (MeDSABAMS) has raised alarm over the growing infiltration of quacks into Nigeria’s healthcare sector, warning that the trend is steadily eroding professional standards nationwide.
The concern was part of the major resolutions reached at the association’s fifth annual general meeting held at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Akwa Ibom State.
The conference, themed: “Scaling Up Medical Education in Nigeria for the 21st Century Healthcare,” was aimed at repositioning basic medical education for excellence across the West African region.
Participants expressed dismay over the proliferation of unqualified practitioners, attributing the problem to poor remuneration and dwindling morale among trained medical professionals.
They noted that inadequate pay has driven many qualified experts away, forcing governments to resort to hiring poorly trained or unqualified personnel into the system.
In a communiqué jointly signed by the National President, Dr. John Anionye, and Secretary General, Dr. Tasiu Ibrahim, respectively, the association called for an urgent upward review of salaries and allowances to enhance commitment and efficiency in healthcare delivery.
The association said Nigeria’s medical education system remains unprepared for modern healthcare demands due to outdated training methods and a persistent disconnect between basic medical research and clinical practice.
The association also criticized the lack of effective collaboration among professionals, noting that government efforts focus mainly on producing more doctors without improving the welfare of medical trainers or investing in critical facilities and research environments.
MeDSABAMS further lamented that pre clinical-medical education in many universities has been taken over by non-medically qualified personnel, which they described as a deliberate move that undermines training standards.
They argued that unlike other professional fields, medically qualified experts are being sidelined from training the next generation of doctors.
The association identified flaws in the CCMAS curriculum, noting that these defects have distorted academic content and weakened the clinical foundation required for proper medical training.
Delegates also highlighted that pre-clinical medical students are receiving less attention due to overcrowding in faculties, where B.Sc. students in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry are taught alongside medical students.
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This, they said, has reduced the quality of training and mentoring, ultimately reflecting in the declining competence of newly produced doctors.
The communiqué further commended the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for its sustained efforts in protecting the integrity of basic medical education and advocating for the welfare of medically qualified lecturers.
However, the association noted that medical doctors teaching in pre-clinical and basic clinical sciences remain the worst remunerated in Nigerian universities.
Despite being placed on the CONMESS salary structure, many are wrongly assigned levels or denied allowances, while lecturers above 65 years are excluded entirely.
They warned that these poor conditions have triggered both internal and external brain drain, as well as the abandonment of basic medical sciences by qualified professionals posing a serious threat to the future of medical education and healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
