Fayemi challenges state varsity to carry out medical research

By Gbenga Sodeinde Ado-Ekiti

The Governor of Ekiti state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said the new set of doctors produced by the Ekiti state University College of Medicine would boost the healthcare policy of his government.

The governor charged the college to expand the scope of its research work not only to record more breakthroughs in the medical field, but for the placement of state university on web metric ranking.

Fayemi spoke on Monday during the maiden induction ceremony of 43 first set of doctors produced by the institution after 10 years of rigorous academic exercise.

He expressed happiness about the outstanding performances of the doctors in their final examinations, saying that “I was reliably told that the inductees recorded 100 per cent in their examinations with a distinction in their MBBS examinations .

“The first executive governor of this state, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo started the idea of a college of medicine for the university in 2001. But, in 2004, it came to an abrupt end because the government then didn’t believe the state could fund a medical college at that time.

“But, in 2008, Segun Oni started the process of re-establishing the college and I want to thank Oni for signing the bill that re-established the college into law. Medical education is held in high esteem all over the world and this is expected because it touches on the lives of human beings. I am convinced that these new doctors will contribute to our healthcare policy.

“Ekiti state is ready to employ as many as possible among them that are ready to work in the state. We are committed to more robust healthcare coverage for pregnant women and children below five and the vulnerable, who could have been shut out of quality medicare due to inabilities to afford the bills.

“I want to commend you for your perseverance, resilience, commitment, hard work and you must know that medical education is continuous. Also, you have to be good ambassadors of the university and the state.

“I want to also charge the management of the university to ensure prudent use of resources available and embark on more research works for favourable rating of this university on web metric ranking.”

Also speaking, the acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olubunmi Ajayi, said when the university was at a crossroad, especially when funding became an albatross, Gov. Fayemi came to the rescue, adding that “if not for this intervention, this epoch- making event could not have been possible.

“Even the wife of the governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi paid the tuition fees of some of these doctors when finance was becoming a problem.”

Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCAN), Dr. T.A. Sanusi, administered the oath on the new doctors, warning that whoever flouts the rules guiding the medical profession will be sanctioned.

The Provost, College of Medicine, Prof. Kehinde Oluwadiya, said the doctors have received the best of training and this he said accounts for the 100 per cent pass recorded in the final examinations with a distinction in surgery.

At the occasion, Dr. Bankole Emmanuel emerged the best graduating student with distinction in surgery and clinical pathology.