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The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has suggested that only doctorate degree holders in the health sector should exclusively use the title of doctor.
It called for the amendment of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to end the use of the title of doctor for all categories of medical practitioners but should rather be referred to as Physician and Surgeon.
The Union came up with this in its recommendations on the proposed MDCN Act 2020 submitted to the National Assembly.
It noted that “the Ph.D. or Doctor of Philosophy is the highest graduate degree awarded by universities and in the most ideal of situations remain the cadre that should use the title Dr. exclusively.”
In the recommendation, JOHESU called for the amendment of Section 42(1), which says “Subject to subsection (4) of this section, no person other than a registered medical practitioner shall take or use the title of physician, surgeon, doctor or licentiate of medicine, medical practitioner, or apothecary.
Also, sector 42(2) said, “Subject to section (4) of this section, no person other than a registered dental surgeon shall (b) take or use the title of a dental surgeon, doctor, dentist, dental officer or dental practitioner.”
But JOHESU is seeking the amendment of section 42(1) b to read (b) “take or use the title of physician, surgeon or licentiate of medicine or medical practitioner.”
It also wants section 42(2) b to read, “Take or use the title of a dental surgeon, dentist, dental officer or dental practitioner.”
If the recommendation is anything to go by, the title of doctor for all medical practitioners would be abolished while only those who have bagged doctorate degree in their respective disciplines would be addressed as ‘Doctor.”
JOHESU is right being a medical practitioner it just a priviledge thoshe who studied none medical course can also be successful if they were to read medical course.It is just a matter or having a right background.For me such a practice should be condemned,no one is superior we are all important in our respective disipline.It is the system that we found ourselves that is faulty