The Federal Government says it would no longer allow trainee doctors on one year internship programme in hospitals across the country to participate in industrial action during the 12 months period so as to enable them to concentrate on their training or tolerate any House Officer engaging in any illegal act.

The Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Abba Hassan, made the statement at the swearing-in of 1,021 foreign trained medical and dental graduates in Abuja.

He charged the interns to abide strictly by the code of conduct during their one year internship, adding that by law, they are not supposed to join any association until they are fully registered as doctors. For now, they are on probation and they should not belong to any union or join in strike.

“Anybody who is caught will be brought before the council and if found guilty, will be sanctioned. The person may be barred from practice.”

Hassan further stated that trainee doctors must commit themselves fully to pay attention to their seniors who are training them. This is not the era of people going into private practice. If they spend their time understudying their seniors very well, by the time they finish the 12 months internship, they will be very good doctors,” he said.