Medical Guild warns against patronising unregistered physicians

The Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) has warned against patronising unregistered physician on health matters.

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This call was made by the National President of the Guild, Dr.

Raymond Kuti during an interview with in Lagos on Thursday.

 
The guild is the body of medical doctors who own and operate private hospitals and clinics in Nigeria.

Kuti said that the guild was concerned about the vulnerability of patients and the quality of healthcare service being rendered to the public by some physicians operating telemedicine.

 
Telemedicine is the transfer of medical information through telecommunication technologies for the purpose of consulting or for remote medical procedures or examinations.

Kuti noted that a standard procedure to practice as a doctor in Nigeria was to be certified qualified by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

“Globally, there’s telemedicine, and someone is consulting with you from the United Kingdom, United States, or Canada; MDCN doesn’t know the qualifications of that person.

“If they are qualified there, let them also register to practice in Nigeria, so that we are sure that they are qualified to practice in that area of medicine.

“Not doing that makes you vulnerable as a patient.

Some of these ‘doctors’ won’t prescribe drugs but supplements to patients, and these are issues of global concern.

 
“We have realised that some Nigerians when they see a white skin person talking about healthcare, they think that automatically qualifies such a person as a doctor.

“If a patient in the US or UK consults with me and I prescribe a drug to the patient, no pharmacy there will sell it because they will say I’m not registered with their governing body,” he said.

 
Kuti appealed to MDCN to rise to the challenge of correcting the anomaly, noting that having an unlicensed physician relating with patients was quackery.

 
He also cautioned that quackery posed a threat to the realisation of quality healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

 
Kuti also urged governments at all levels to create an enabling environment, infrastructure and resolve security challenges to encourage Nigerian medical practitioners in the diaspora to return to practice locally.

 
He also stressed the need to ensure continuity in the implementation of favourable policies to deepen development in the health sector.

 
MTO/Punch
Medical Guild warns against patronising unregistered physicians

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