How patients can verify licences of doctors in Nigeria – MDCN
Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria Assistant Registrar, Dr Henry Okwuokenye, says patients can ask for the practicing licence of doctors, adding that the challenge may be knowing how to ascertain it genuineness.
According to Okwuokenye, efforts were also on to determine the authenticity of doctors through its website by simply inputting the number of doctors.
He made this disclosure in Gombe, while briefing journalists after an alleged fake doctor practicing within a medical facility in the state, was reported to the council by his employer.
While lamenting the increase of quackery, in private hospitals Okwuokenye advised owners of medical facilities to apply due diligence in the procedures of recruitment in order not to fall prey to cheap antics.
“For owners of private hospitals before you recruit a doctor you must verify the documents they are presenting to you this thing has to do with human life. The only people and profession that has direct relevance to human life is the medical profession. You must verify the documents provided to you, a simple letter written to our council can resolve that for you,” Okwuokenye said.
He maintained that doctors could be asked to provide the details of their certification as medics, adding that in no distant time verifications would be easily done on the portal.
He added, “They have a right to ask doctors for their licences, although they won’t know what the licence is all about, very soon people will be able to verify doctors on our portal.
“When we go to our portal and a doctor tells you his number you enter it. You will be able to see his name and picture with time the system will be perfect and people will be able to know what they will be able to do to have good health care.”
How to verify medical doctors in Nigeria..
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Politely request for the licence: As patient who is keen about having the best medical support it expedient that you show the need courtesy in seeking the fact. So, politely make clarifications on the authenticity of his records.
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Private medical facility owners are expected to verify documents before offering doctors employment, where not clear reach the MDCN: It’s imperative that boards of private hospitals verify credentials before offering employment. Not everyone that claims to be a doctor is one; as critical question where in doubt contact attended schools.
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Log on to MDCN website to authenticate the documents. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria is there to help you as they have support lines, links to tracking and verifying your claims or otherwise www.mdcn.gov.ng
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Registered doctors have numbers that could be used for tracking their claims: its ever-growing challenges demand that we modernise the approach to problem-solving. The MDCN has promised to improve on the content of its Newsletter, make its production more regular and publish it in our web portal, to keep all stakeholders abreast with developments in the MDCN. This will be one of the ways they communicate with their numerous stakeholders.
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Raise concerns with NMA, MDCN: The MDCN, since its establishment in 1963 has had a rewarding and growth-filled adventure, in its regulatory activities. A testament to this is the large number of practitioners that have been produced by Nigerian medical and dental training institutions who are providing excellent services in Nigeria and many other countries around the world.
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You can reach MDCN by writing for authorities to resolve your fears and ensure appropriate punishment. MDCN one of the foremost medical regulatory authorities in Africa. Across all of our zonal offices and at headquarters in Abuja, the staff of the MDCN come to work committed to our mission and focused on providing exceptional regulatory services. We shall, this year, be testing and applying new strategies for organizational renewal and growth, particularly in the area of employing Information Technology (IT) in the delivery of our services.