The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), on Monday challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute his cabinet saying “delay is dangerous.”

The association also pleaded with the National Association of Resident Doctors to call off their strike in public interest.

The President of MDCAN, Dr Steve Oluwole, at a press briefing in Abuja, expressed great concern over the vacuum resulting from Buhari’s refusal to form a complete government one month after his assumption of power.

“It is obvious, we have concerns; we are not isolated, we are not the only ones affected, there are certain issues that we want to raise or oppose but we can’t do. But we cannot say because it is a new government coming in. Even if it is another party that takes over, things move within hours. So we can’t say because it is a new party and government that is why it is so,” he said.

The MDCAN president explained that given the current predicament due to the vacuum, there is need to address some critical issues in the health sector.

He called on President Buhari to move fast in addressing the vacuum created in the running of the government, stating that “we want the president to expedite action; because, it becomes indefensible to our own democracy where it looks like there is vacuum, no movement in that ministry.”

He observed that there is an urgency to “have a functional government, not just have elections, or constitute National Assembly like we have now, that is not sufficient, and I think our patience is running out now as a nation.”

The MDCAN President said the appointment of health minister by the Buhari’s administration should take into consideration in appointing “not just a doctor but somebody who has the basic medical qualification, post-graduate qualifications and know public health.”

Oluwole also called on medical consultants in the country to restore services and return back to work.

The MDCAN said it has adopted “the directive of the NMA that all hospitals on strike to demand skipping salary adjustment and should suspend such.”

Oluwole mandated “all branches of MDCAN to ensure that consultants restore services in all specialities with the full complement of staff assigned to them to discharge their duties.”

He also urged “government to provide unified framework for the implementation of skipping in tertiary hospitals if it is unwilling to abolish it as initially demanded by the NMA.”

•Photo shows President Buhari.

Update news