The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committee on Health Institutions to investigate the allegations of discrimination in the recruitment of doctors by the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) Chief Medical Director Ikpeme Asanye Ikpeme.

The professor was also alleged to have rejected medical graduates posted to the teaching hospital for housemanship. The House also urged the Ministry of Health to suspend Ikpeme pending the outcome of the investigation. These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion by Iduma Igariwey Enwo.

Enwo informed the House that a list of 17 graduates sent to the hospital by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for housemanship training was rejected by the CMD. He stated that CMD had rejected the list of graduates on the grounds that 15 out of the 17 graduates are of Igbo ethic nationality.

He urged his colleagues to support the motion argued that the Nigerian health system is facing manpower challenges due to brain drain. After the motion was unanimously adopted with a voice vote, Speaker Tajudeen Abass mandated the House Committee on Health Institutions to investigate the matter and report back to the House.