The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has called on the Federal Government to strengthen manpower and infrastructure in teaching hospitals across the country.

The council said improving the capacity of teaching hospitals was necessary to accommodate more medical graduates and ensure quality training for doctors.

The MDCN has continued to regulate the number of medical graduates admitted for training based on the available facilities, teaching staff and clinical capacity of institutions.

The council noted that increasing the number of medical graduates without corresponding improvements in training facilities and manpower could put additional pressure on existing institutions and undermine the quality of medical education.

It also stressed the need for hospitals seeking accreditation or higher training quotas to demonstrate adequate infrastructure, qualified personnel and appropriate clinical facilities.

The MDCN has previously increased quotas for institutions that demonstrated improvements in infrastructure, personnel and clinical training capacity.

The council said expanding the capacity of teaching hospitals would also help address the shortage of opportunities for medical graduates seeking housemanship and support the development of Nigeria’s healthcare workforce.

The Federal Government was therefore urged to increase investment in tertiary healthcare institutions, improve working conditions and provide the facilities required to support effective medical training and patient care.

The MDCN maintains that medical training quotas must correspond with the capacity of each institution to provide adequate supervision and clinical experience.