•Our unspeakable ordeal — Rejected doctor

The management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, has said that the 17 House Officers posted to the institution by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, are safe and at no risk whatsoever.

The 17 House officers of Igbo extraction posted to UCTH for their Housemanship had claimed that they were rejected on account of their tribe and region.

Also reacting, MDCN said it did not post the medical graduates allegedly rejected for housemanship at the UCTH, adding the graduates independently select their preferred institutions for the mandatory one-year housemanship programme.

On its part, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Prof. Bala Abdul said the body was in control of the situation and handling the matter directly even as he expressed confidence that a resolution would be established through professional channels.

Reacting to allegations of the safety of the 17 House Officers, the hospital management stated that it had taken note of reports circulating regarding the resumption of some of the House Officers recently posted to the hospital.

“We wish to clearly state that all House Officers who reported to UCTH are safe and not at any risk as their welfare remain important to the hospital management, and no one has been subjected to harm, or unsafe conditions.

“The issues currently being discussed relate to administrative and regulatory processes connected to postings and clearance. These matters are being handled through the appropriate official channels.

“In line with due process, a formal communication has been made to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other relevant authorities for guidance and resolution.

“While this process is ongoing, we appeal for calm and patience from all concerned,” the UCTH stated.

Also in a petition dated January 9, 2026, UCTH alleged sharp practices within the MDCN through a proxy (Doclumina Networking) to surreptitiously collect illegal fees from prospective House Officers with vested interest in selected hospitals, including the UCTH.

The petition with reference number UCTH/ DCMAC/270 by Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (Training & Research), Dr. Felix Archibong, directed to the MDCN Registrar alleged that the mentioned group had approached young doctors and requested between N250,000 to N300,000 for deployment to choice areas.

Efforts to reach the Chief Medical Director, Prof Ikpeme Ikpeme, proved abortive, as he wasn’t taking his calls.

We don’t post House Officers — MDCN

The Council stated that, contrary to insinuations in some quarters, it does not post medical graduates to training institutions but merely approves their chosen placements based on available vacancies.

Responding to Vanguard’s inquiry, an MDCN official, who requested anonymity, said the Council did not deploy the graduates to UCTH.

“It is wrong to say that MDCN posted the graduates to UCTH. We don’t post people. What we do is approve the choices made by candidates based on the availability of vacancies. The graduates indicated UCTH as their choice for housemanship, and we approved it for them based on the vacancies available at the time,” the source added.

When asked about the fate of the graduates following their alleged rejection by the hospital, the official said: “It is not MDCN that should tell them what to do. I believe they themselves know what to do at this point.”

At press time, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare was yet to respond to Vanguard’s inquiry on the matter.

The Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, who was also contacted, said he was still working on an official response as at press time.

Our professional body is in control — NMA

Reacting to the development in a telephone chat with Vanguard, the President of NMA, Prof. Abdul, who explained that only MDCN has the legal authority to post and approve house officers for training in any institution and that the association was in total control of the situation.

“We are in touch with the MDCN on this matter, and they are handling the issue directly, and we don’t want it to turn into a matter of unionism because we are very confident that the issue will be resolved.

“Our professional body is in total control of the situation. This is the position of NMA. We did not go to the press, we followed the proper channel. We do not want it to turn into a union issue. Our professional body is in total control of the situation.”

Abdul said the development raises serious professional concerns, stressing that institutions accredited for housemanship are under obligation to accept candidates posted to them by the council.

According to him, the MDCN remains the only government regulatory body empowered under Nigerian law to recognise hospitals for housemanship training and determine their intake capacity.

Complaint

Recall that one of the young doctors, in a complaint had said: “I am a House officer that was posted to UCTH to begin my Housemanship, I got to Calabar on Sunday, I met with others that also travelled from distant locations to resume House Job duties, for context I base in Lagos, although I’m from the East, on Monday we went to the administrative building to meet with the CMD and also begin our clearance and orientation.

“To my surprise he rejected us, all 17 of us, he told us he has petitioned the list of House officers sent to the facility to MDCN, and until MDCN replies he’s not clearing us. He gave his reasons, some of which are: Why 15 of 17 HO’s are from one tribe/region; Why are there no Cross Riverians in the list of posted Officers from MDCN; and they told MDCN they have 50 slots, why are we 17?

“Honestly sir, I was shocked. He went on to talk about how it’s becoming a normal thing, how we Igbos we’re coming to saturate the whole place, he accused us of paying to get the placements, he said he has evidence but failed to show us any evidence.

“The whole thing is just frustrating, we don’t even have accommodation as we speak most of us sleep on the floor in the room of older house officers in the facility with just wrapper on the floor, these house officers go ahead to tell us how it’s a regular thing there, in some cases he will approve clearance for the house officers from other tribe, then reject the ones from Igbo telling them “Go to the East, there’s no space.’

“One person even got in touch with the CMD of their own University’s teaching hospital, where they graduated, he spoke to him and he said the list would be cancelled, he blatantly told the two non Igbos that they’re unfortunately caught up in this mess and nothing will be done, telling us to stop hanging around the premises and travel back home.

“Sir I’m honestly tired, I never for once thought I will face this level of tribalism in my life. National Association of Resident Doctors UCTH and NMA Cross River branch reached out to him, still he was adamant. All these are factors that ignites the JAPA mentality amongst healthcare workers.

“Sir please help us, I have never felt so much regret for studying this course like I felt these past two days,” the young doctor had stated. (Adapted from a Vanguard report)

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