The Vice Chancellor of Federal University Lokoja, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, has lamented the current Inadequate number of medical doctors in Nigeria to tackle the health delivery services across the country.
The VC hinted that of the 80,000 medical doctors on the register of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria as of May 2022, only 40,000 medical doctors are actively practicing in the country.
The VC commended the federal government’s efforts to address the shortage of medical doctors, stressing that the upgrading of Lokoja Medical Centre to a Teaching Hospital is a welcome development.
He said that the FMC, now Federal Teaching Hospital, FTH, Lokoja, is to serve the medical and clinical students at the Federal University, Lokoja.
Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi disclosed this during a joint press conference by the university and the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, on Tuesday.
“Going by the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, one doctor is to 100 patients, but in Nigeria, it is one doctor to more than 4,000 patients. This is grossly inadequate and unacceptable, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. It is indeed most worrisome in the case of Kogi State”.
Prof. Olayemi, elated about the new development in Kogi, said the medical and health school, which kicked off admission last year, is now in a better position to produce goods for medical practitioners in a couple of years.
“Federal University Lokoja, College of Health Sciences was established by the statute of the college and approved at the 61st Special Senate of the University held on Thursday, 27th May 2021.
The Governing Council of the university considered and approved the appointment of a seasoned Professor of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery and Former President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Professor Mike Ozovehe Ogirima, mni to pioneer the commencement of Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MB’BS) marking the first phase of the several programmes in Dentistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing Sciences, Medical Imaging Sciences among others.
“Consequent upon the above, the Governing Council ably led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Distinguished Senator Chris Adighije, PhD, ensured that this noble objective of establishing Medicine and Surgery in this university is attained.
The university management and Senate were constantly guided and supported by the Governing Council, especially in the set realizable action plan; to bridge the gap of the potential candidates not succeeding in gaining admission to read Medicine and Surgery in the existing universities in the catchment areas.
“Research conducted recently shows that in the next 10 years, Kogi State Medical Centres and hospitals will experience great inertia of medical doctors of Kogi State origin.
About 98% of students of Kogi State origin that applied for Medicine and Surgery with outstanding performance in JAMB and Post UTME in universities within the catchment areas of Kogi State are vehemently denied admission to read Medicine and Surgery in those universities.
In most cases, some read single honours courses like Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc. Based on the above denials, Federal University Lokoja established its own College of Health Sciences to address the seeming problem.
“The university was aware of the enormous cost implication of establishing Medicine and Surgery Department, especially regarding adequate and qualified professionals, availability of Teaching Hospitals, functional laboratories, hostels, library and so on.
This was why the management of the university approached the management of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja (FMC) to seek collaboration and conversion of the Medical Centre into a Teaching Hospital. The Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja (FMC) is to train Medical and Premedical students at the college and, in addition, laboratories and clinics.
“Consequent upon the above understanding between the university and Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja (FMC), a Bill for the conversion/upgrade of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, to a Teaching Hospital was sponsored by Distinguished Senator Smart Adeyemi, representing Kogi West Senatorial District at the 9th Senate. The Bill was passed into law by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Tuesday, 21st June 2022.
On 10th February 2023, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, approved the upgrade of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Kogi State, to Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, Kogi State vide letter referenced SGF6/T4/380.
“By this development, the university is expected to provide a conducive environment for the training of premedical students in Medical and Allied Sciences before moving to the Teaching Hospital for Clinical Training. The university’s responsibility to the hospital will include the construction of hostels, Medical Laboratory Complex, and Lecture Auditoriums within the hospital.
“Let me also state that the MB’BS programme successfully admitted its first set of students for the 2020/2021 Academic Session in 2022. The university will, in the next week, release the admission list for the 2021/2022 academic session for the MB’BS programme.
“The Provost of the College, Prof. Mike Ozovehe Ogirima, is currently shopping for top medical scholars/ academics that will occupy the vacant positions in the college. It is my believe that qualified Professors, Associate Professors, and Senior Lecturers in the various fields of Medicine and Surgery within and outside Nigeria will take advantage and apply to fill the vacant positions. Visiting and Sabbatical appointments have been granted to some Professors who are currently interfacing with the MB’BS students.”
The FMC Chief Medical Director, Dr. Olatunde Alabi said the centre has now been upgraded to a teaching hospital and can now operate maximally as some of the medical personnel were under-utilized.
