An umbrella body of medical doctors in Nigeria, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has recommended that all politicians seeking various offices in the next general elections should be made to undergo psychiatric tests to determine their mental state.
In a communiqué at the end of the National Executive Council meeting in Jos, NMA said that all psychiatric doctors have been advised to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission who will supervise such tests.
NMA National President, Dr. Kayode Obembe, who read the communiqué today, said that such tests have become necessary because of the manner some political office holders have conducted themselves.
The communiqué asked medical doctors to register to participate in the political process at all levels. It also asked them to register as polling officers to assist INEC to conduct free and fair elections.
The communiqué clarified issues on the strike embarked upon by some doctors, saying that NMA is not on strike, but would continue to keep services running and would not succumb to blackmail.
The communiqué expressed reservations at the level of services in the health care delivery, which has been compounded by the unhealthy power tussle among the medical practitioners. [myad]
