The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan Chapter, has called on the Federal Government to urgently improve manpower and infrastructure in teaching hospitals across the country to ease growing pressure on Nigeria’s tertiary healthcare system.
The association also urged the government to constitute boards of management for federal tertiary hospitals, release funds approved for medical equipment, address salary payment delays under the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), and introduce incentives for medical lecturers handling additional workloads.
The Chairman of MDCAN, UCH Chapter, Dr Oluseyi Akande, made the call in Ibadan on Monday during the association’s biennial press briefing held as part of its 2026 Annual General Meeting.
Akande expressed concern over the absence of boards of management at UCH and several other federal tertiary hospitals for more than two years, saying the situation had slowed decision-making and affected the effective administration of the institutions.
According to him, the Federal Government dissolved the previous boards after the expiration of their tenure, leaving Chief Medical Directors to manage the daily affairs of the hospitals without the institutional support of governing boards.
“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.
“The boards are responsible for providing policy direction and taking critical decisions and approvals required for the effective running of the hospitals.”
Akande said the absence of the boards meant that certain decisions and approvals had to be referred to the Coordinating Minister of Health, resulting in delays due to the minister’s numerous responsibilities.
“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,” he said.
MDCAN Raises Concern Over Medical Training Capacity
The association also raised concerns over the Federal Government’s decision to increase admission quotas for Colleges of Medicine, including the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, without a corresponding expansion of infrastructure and manpower.
Akande acknowledged that the policy was designed to address Nigeria’s shortage of medical personnel but warned that increasing student numbers without adequate investment could put further pressure on already stretched facilities and healthcare workers.
He said the government had begun providing infrastructure to support the increased admission capacity, but implementation had been slow.
“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 said.
Akande called for faster completion of the required infrastructure and stronger monitoring to ensure that government interventions were delivered within schedule.
He also urged the government to recruit more medical lecturers and other personnel to cope with the growing number of students.
“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 him, the workload has increased significantly because of the migration of health professionals abroad and the poor condition of primary and secondary healthcare facilities in several parts of the country.
“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 said.
He called for increased staffing at Colleges of Medicine, alongside better incentives and remuneration for lecturers taking on additional responsibilities.
“Medicine is an apprenticeship, as we say; training of extra medical students is demanding and should be adequately compensated,” he said.
The MDCAN chairman suggested that the government could use the existing earned allowances system in universities as a basis for compensating medical lecturers who undertake additional workloads.
Association Demands Action on Salary Delays
MDCAN also expressed concern over delays in salary payments affecting newly employed consultants and doctors transferring from other hospitals to UCH through IPPIS.
Akande said some newly employed consultants had gone for months without receiving their salaries due to bureaucratic processes involving the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Accountant-General’s office.
He said the delays had created serious financial difficulties for affected doctors and their families while negatively affecting morale and productivity.
“Imagine a senior medical practitioner leaving one job for another, only to go months without salary. Such experiences discourage productivity and commitment to work,” he said.
The association therefore called for the decentralisation of the IPPIS payroll process where possible, arguing that this would enable newly employed workers and staff transferring between institutions to receive their salaries promptly after assuming duty.
“A labourer is worthy of his timely wages. Salary is a right and not a privilege,” Akande said.
MDCAN Seeks Release of Medical Equipment Funds
The association also called on the Federal Government to release funds approved in the 2025 budget for the procurement of life-saving equipment for UCH.
“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 said.
Akande urged the government to make the funds available without further delay, stressing that the equipment was essential to the hospital’s ability to provide effective clinical services, medical training and research.
Doctors Raise Alarm Over Attacks on Healthcare Workers
MDCAN also appealed to Nigerians to refrain from attacking healthcare workers, describing violence against doctors and other medical personnel as an increasing concern.
Akande said healthcare workers understood the importance of their responsibilities and continued to provide care as empathetically as possible, but noted that some factors affecting patient outcomes were outside their control.
“Although health care workers are essential to providing quality health care, some factors are beyond our control,” he said.
He identified inadequate or outdated medical equipment and unreliable electricity supply as some of the challenges that could affect healthcare delivery despite the commitment of medical personnel.
The MDCAN chairman urged patients and their relatives who were dissatisfied with healthcare services to seek redress through appropriate channels rather than resorting to violence.
“Such acts are illegal and are punishable under the law,” he warned.
Akande said attacks on healthcare workers could further discourage and demoralise medical professionals at a time when Nigeria was already struggling with a shortage of skilled health workers.
He, however, commended the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, for recent efforts aimed at addressing violence against healthcare workers.
The chairman also congratulated members of the association on the 2026 Annual General Meeting, which features a scientific conference, sporting activities, courtesy visits, the annual general meeting, a luncheon and a thanksgiving service.
