By Kemi Yesufu
President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Medical Residency Training Bill 2018 into law.
The Nation reports Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly matters, Senator. Ita Enang announcing that the president, has assented to the Medical Residency Training Act, 2018.
Enang also said the President signed the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (Establishment, etc) (Amendment) Bill, 2018 into law.
“This Law enacts and regulates the Medical Residency Training Programme for the training of Medical Practitioners and Dental Surgeons to be regulated and managed by the National Medical Post-graduate College of Nigeria.
“This programme is for persons who possess the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB.BSc, MB. CH, B, BDS), or its equivalent, have gone through the NYSC programme with discharge or exemption Certificate, and possess professional indemnity Certificate from a reputable Insurance company, among others.
“This Act is directed at assuring the quality and competence of Medical practice and practitioners in Nigeria through Statutory Medical Training Programmes to encourage Medical Tourism from other Countries to Nigeria and build further confidence in Nigeria Medical System”, Enang said
Recall that the bill sponsored by the chairperson House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, Rep. Betty Apiafi provides a legal framework for the entry requirements, the tenure of Part I and Part 2 of the residency training programme, sponsorship of the training programme through budgetary allocations as well as internal funding from training institutions and an exit process for doctors who have completed or failed to complete the programme.
Section 34 (b) of the legislation, states that, “a Resident doctor shall withdraw from the programme six (6) months after the resident passes PART II Fellowship Examination of any of the Postgraduate Medical Colleges”.
This is as Section 34 (c) dictates that, “a Resident shall withdraw from the programme if he/she fails to measure up to the berms and conditions as in the letter of appointment”.
On the second bill signed, The Nation reports Enang as saying, “The Act, No. 7 of 2010 provides in section 2(a): That thirty percent (30%) of the Revenue generated by any Company or authority from the operation of any hydroelectric dams in any member state of the Commission shall be paid and credited to the Commission. The amendment Act just assented to has reduced same from thirty percent (30%) to ten percent (10%)
“The amendment further fortifies the power of the Minister to issue policy directives as well as re-enforce statutory powers of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to regulate the Electricity Industry under the principal Act”.
“The amendment eliminates ambiguity in the Law and role conflict of the responsible Institutions as well as properly providing for the exercise of statutory powers of NERC which was established before now.” he stated
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