The University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, has inducted and
granted automatic housemanship to 43 medical graduates.
Prof. Bissallah Ekele, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of
University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), declared the offer at the third
induction ceremony of the institution on Saturday in Abuja.
Delivering induction lecture titled “Public perception of
medical practice in Nigeria: Time to change the narratives”, he noted that the
offer of one year internship or Housemanship would encourage the graduands and
ease them of the challenges in getting placement in health institutions.
“The Board of Management of UATH, under the Chairmanship of
Dr Sam Jaja (The Balolo of Opobo Kingdom) has given approval for the 43 medical
graduates to be given automatic placements for the Housemanship if you desire
to do it in UATH,” Ekele said.
The CMD, who congratulated the new medical graduands,
however noted that they have a big role to play in upholding or imbibing the ethics
of the ‘noble profession’.
Speaking on the topic, the CMD frowned at the crises rocking
the health sector and medical practice.
He identified the challenges in the sector as poor funding,
poor management of limited funds, poor infrastructure, poor supervision by unit
heads and consultants, poor attitude to work and poor relationship between the
various professionals in the sector.
“The health sector and indeed medical practice in Nigeria is
presently in crises. Almost everything is poor. Expectedly, the public
perception of medical practice and of course the practitioners are also poor.
“Some of the terms and phrases used to describe the systems
are not printable. These negative perceptions have immediate and late
repercussions on practitioners and the profession,” he said.
Ekele, however, noted that in spite of these present
challenges medical practice and the practitioners had made glorious past,
citing examples with Dr Samuel Manuwa, among others that made significant
impact in the past.
He said “Manuwa who graduated from the University of
Edinburgh in 1926 invented “Excision Knife’ to treat tropical ulcers’.
According to him, Manuwa back home was one of the Nigerian
doctors that made remarkable impact, he was appointed Deputy Director of
Medical Services as well as the first Nigerian to be Inspector General of
Medical Services in 1948 and 1951, respectively.
The CMD, however, listed the way forward to the present
challenges to include allocation of more funds to the sector in order to acquire
modern equipment and uplift the infrastructure.
According to him, the way forward is to allocate more funds
similar to TETFUND in the education sector in addition to the irregular
appropriations.
He emphasized that “It is also imperative that government
honour agreements with the unions to avoid disruption of services”.
Ekele challenged the medical graduates on hard work,
honesty, humility and modest prayer against the fanatical prayers.
He frowned at the fanatical prayers of medical doctors to the
detriment of their patients.
According to him, “fanatical prayers is not for us. We have
heard of a medical officer on duty in a Casualty Unit who decided to first pray
for an accident victim who was bleeding from broken limb and by the time the
prayer was over, the patient passed on”.
“My colleagues, let us rededicate ourselves once again to
the service of our people and mankind for it is through such service that we
truly serve God.
“The medical profession is built on the foundation of
altruism, integrity, accountability, duty, excellence, respect for others and
above all compassion. With these, we can together reverse the negative
narratives and return to past glory,” Ekele said.
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of award to the
best medical student, Dr Jeremiah Ogbu. (NAN)
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