The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has warned private medical practitioners engaging in unwholesome practices in Kwara State to desist or risk jail sentence.

Speaking with journalists during inspection/monitoring of private hospitals in Osi, Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, the head of inspectorate of the council, Dr. Henry Okwukeye, said the council was determined to sanitise health sector and practitioners in order to reduce needless deaths among the people.

The MDCN team, comprising director medical services, state ministry of health and policemen also nabbed a medical practitioner who has refused to renew his practising license since 1982, and asked him to pay a total sum of N552, 000 being accumulated sum of money for his registration fees.

The medical practitioner had allegedly been practising medicine illegally and without a license for 33 years at Osi town in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.

Okwukeye said the inspection visit was informed by a petition received by the council that many people have died from surgery in the hospital. He said despite quality equipment in the hospital, the doctor has inadequate qualified medical personnel and did not employ qualified nurses.

"We discovered that he had a full registration certificate from MDCN. However, it is sad to know that since that 1982 he got full licence, he had never come for any Continuous Medical Development or Continous Professional Development to update himself. This has made it difficult for him to know his boundary/limits. There's a difference between compassion and professionalism. When you see a patient dying and you know with what you have you can't help the patient, you should refer the patient to where he/she can get help," he said.