Ganiyu Johnson, the House of Representatives member representing Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency, on Thursday, sponsored a bill to restrict Nigeria-trained medical doctors and dental practitioners from obtaining complete licenses unless they have practiced in the country for at least five years.

This bill, Johnson said, was necessary to enable Nigerian medical practitioners give back to the country after benefiting from subsidised public education.

The green chamber passed the bill for a second reading.

Since the news of the lawmakers’ decision to allow the bill pass for a second reading became public, some Nigerians have faulted and slammed the decision.

Reacting to the proposed bill, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) described its contents as segregational. It faulted the lawmakers for targeting medical practitioners and not looking to improve the health sector or prevent public office holders from travelling abroad for medical tourism.

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On social media, calls have been made for the lawmakers to create laws that prevent government officials from going to foreign countries to patronise their health workers. But the same law was shut down in 2019.

REPS SHUT DOWN 2019 BILL TO HALT MEDICAL TOURISM

In May 2019, Sergius Ose Ogun, a member of the House, sponsored a bill seeking to prevent public officials from seeking medical treatment abroad.

The bill sought to amend section 46 of the National Health Act thus: “(1) A public officer of the Federal Government shall not embark on medical trip abroad without approval; or be sponsored for medical check-up, investigation; or treatment abroad at public expenses except in exceptional cases on the recommendation and referral by the medical board and which recommendation or referral shall be duly approved by the Minister or Commissioner as the case may be; or embark on medical trip abroad unless he satisfactorily proves to the office where the officer is working, that such ailment cannot be treated in Nigeria.”

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Lawmakers kicked against the bill, dubbing it an attempt to encroach on their fundamental human rights.

Mohammed Wase from Plateau State said the green chamber should “throw away” the bill.

Ogun said, “Nigeria is the only country where the president is flown out for treatment and then have him brought back home to die.

“Nigeria is the only country where the president is flown out for six months, without us knowing the cost of the treatment.”

IN 2022, OGUN RETURNED WITH N500M FINE FOR MEDICAL TOURISM WITH PUBLIC FUNDS

In February 2022, Ogun returned with an amendment proposal to Section 42 of the Constitution of Nigeria.

He proposed a bill introducing Section 46, Sub-Section 2, which reads, “Any public officer of the government of the federation or any part thereof who violates the provision of sub-section (1) above shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N500,000,000 (five hundred million naira) or to an imprisonment term of seven years, or both.”

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The lawmaker from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) argued that the country needed to cut spending on foreign travels and invest in its health sector.

At the time, President Muhammadu Buhari had spent over 200 days outside the country receiving treatment for his health challenges.

The bill did not propose stopping public office holders from using their own money to get treatment abroad, but only sought to prevent them from doing so with public funds.

In contrast, Johnson’s bill seeks to prevent medical practitioners from travelling using their own money.