MDCAN urges FG to boost manpower, infrastructure in teaching hospitals
by Moronfolu Adeyemi · The Eagle OnlineThe Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), University College Hospital, Ibadan Chapter, Oyo State, has urged the Federal Government to urgently strengthen manpower and infrastructure in teaching hospitals across the country to ease growing pressure on the nation’s tertiary healthcare system.
The association also called for the immediate constitution of boards of management for federal tertiary hospitals, release of funds approved for medical equipment, an end to delays in salary payments under the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System and incentives for medical lecturers handling additional workloads.
The Chairman of MDCAN, UCH Chapter, Dr Oluseyi Akande, made the demands in Ibadan on Monday during the association’s biennial press briefing held as part of its 2026 Annual General Meeting.
Akande said the absence of boards of management in UCH and several other federal tertiary hospitals for more than two years had slowed decision-making and affected their administration.
He explained that the previous boards were dissolved after their tenure expired, leaving Chief Medical Directors to handle the day-to-day running of the hospitals without the institutional support of governing boards.
Akande said: “While the Chief Medical Director, as Chief Executive Officer, oversees day-to-day operations, the Hospital’s Board of Management is to equip, maintain, and operate the hospital, as stated in the University Teaching Hospital Act.”
He added: “The boards are responsible for providing policy direction and taking critical decisions and approvals required for the effective running of the hospitals.”
According to him, the absence of the boards had resulted in some approvals and decisions being referred to the coordinating Minister of Health, causing delays because of the minister’s workload.
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Akande said: “We, therefore, call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to, as a matter of urgency, constitute the Board of Management of the Federal Tertiary Hospitals in Nigeria to ensure their smooth running and timely delivery of their mandates.”
The association also expressed concern over the increase in admission quotas for Colleges of Medicine, including the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, without a corresponding expansion in infrastructure and manpower.
Akande said although the policy was designed to address the shortage of medical personnel, it could put further pressure on existing facilities and workers if it was not supported by adequate investment.
He said the Federal Government had intervened by providing infrastructure for the increased admission capacity, but the implementation had been slow.
Akande said: “At the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, these structures are not ready, even though the number of students admitted increased since last year.”
He urged the government to speed up completion of the infrastructure and strengthen monitoring to ensure the interventions were delivered as scheduled.
The MDCAN chairman also called for increased recruitment of medical lecturers and other personnel to cope with the growing student population.
He said: “Medical consultants serving as lecturers have the dual responsibility of teaching medical students and resident doctors while also providing clinical services at the teaching hospital.”
According to Akande, the workload had increased due to the migration of health professionals abroad and inadequate primary and secondary healthcare facilities in many states.
He said: “Our members are already overworked in the hospital because of Japa syndrome and almost non-existent primary and secondary health care facilities in most states of the Federation.”
Akande urged the government to increase staffing in Colleges of Medicine and provide appropriate incentives and remuneration for medical lecturers taking on additional duties.
He said: “Medicine is an apprenticeship, as we say; training of extra medical students is demanding and should be adequately compensated.”
He suggested that the existing earned allowances framework in universities could serve as a starting point for compensating medical lecturers who undertake additional workloads.
The association also raised concerns about delays in salary payments to newly employed consultants and doctors transferred from other hospitals to UCH through IPPIS.
Akande said some newly employed consultants had gone for months without salaries because of bureaucratic processes involving the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Accountant-General’s office.
He said: “Imagine a senior medical practitioner leaving one job for another, only to go months without salary. Such experiences discourage productivity and commitment to work.”
MDCAN therefore called for greater decentralisation of the IPPIS payroll process to enable newly employed workers and those transferred between institutions to receive their salaries promptly after assuming duty.
Akande said: “A labourer is worthy of his timely wages. Salary is a right and not a privilege.”
The association further urged the Federal Government to release funds approved in the 2025 budget for the procurement of life-saving equipment for UCH.
Akande said: “I would also like to draw attention to the fact that the Federal Government of Nigeria is yet to release funds to the University College Hospital for the procurement of many life-saving equipment budgeted for in 2025.”
He urged the government to release the funds without further delay, stressing that the equipment was required for effective clinical services, training and research.
MDCAN also appealed to Nigerians to stop attacking healthcare workers, describing violence against doctors and other health professionals as an increasing concern.
Akande said: “Although health care workers are essential to providing quality health care, some factors are beyond our control.”
He cited inadequate or obsolete equipment and unreliable electricity supply as factors that could undermine healthcare delivery despite the commitment of medical personnel.
The MDCAN chairman urged dissatisfied patients and relatives to seek redress through legitimate channels rather than resorting to violence.
Akande warned: “Such acts are illegal and are punishable under the law.”
He said attacks on healthcare workers could discourage and demotivate medical personnel at a time when the country was already experiencing a shortage of skilled health professionals.
Akande commended the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, for its recent efforts to address violence against healthcare workers.
He also congratulated members of the association on the 2026 Annual General Meeting, which features a scientific conference, sports activities, courtesy visits, the annual general meeting, a luncheon and a thanksgiving service.
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