- …as Odili lauds Tinubu’s efforts in healthcare…appeal for more, better numerator for healthcare professionals
- …calls on other States to emulate Rivers in medical personnel scholarship policy
- …as new graduates are charged for empathy, excellence, Oath of the profession
- …as PUMS doles N6.5m to inductees
The Founder and Pro-chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili has applauded the Federal Government (FG), led by President Ahmed Tinubu for the improvements being noticed in Nigerian Health sector.
Odili, who is a former Governor however charged the government on the need for more investment into the sector; just he emphasized on the need to tain more personnel to close the gap created by the damaging japa syndrome.
He spoke at the 3rd induction/ oath-taking ceremony for 65 newly graduated medical doctors trained by the Institution into the Medical Profession yesterday at the University campus in Elelenwo area of Obio-Akpor Council Area of the State.
Odili said, “…let me use this opportunity to thank Mr. President for his great initiative for the Health sector, we’re seeing the signs, we congratulate him and passionately urge him to pay very special attention to the training of Health professionals, to draw a close heed to national health, because a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.
“I urge the FG to invest more and also look at the review of the renumeration of helath workers , that way, we will be killing two birds with one stone,” he said.
Speaking further, he lauded the State Governor Siminialayi Fubara for the massive scholarship granted to indigenes of the State to be trained in medical courses in the Institution, with the view to producing helathcare personnel for the State and the country at large.
He urged other State Governirs to borrow leaf from Rivers State.
“PAMO in this short period of existence has added nothing less than 330 Healthcare professionals. You can imagine what will happen when all the other Schools across the country move at the pace PAMO is moving, nobody will worry about who is running away (japa), to look for greener pastures. If we have more than enough on ground, we won’t miss those go away.
“I thank the Rivers State Government, particularly the Governor, for the initiative and sustainance of the scholarships for PAMO students who are indigenes of the State.
“We urge other State Governments and their Governors to copy Rivers State, because at the end of it, you would have led the foundation of good health across the country.”
He announced the donation of N6.5 million for all the newly inducted graduates.
Delivering the induction Lecture, entitled, “The Doctor: Honouring a calling not just a profession,” the Resource person, Prof. John Ikimalo urged the fresh graduates doctors to prioritize service over money, bearing in mind that medical career is a calling and not just a profession.
The Executive Director of the Prime Medical Consultancy emphasized the need for the doctors to uphold the ethics of their profession and uphold the sacredness of the Oath they swore to.
Ikimalo urged them to treat everybody that comes to them, irrespective of their age, race, religion, skin colour or political party affiliation, adding that every life matters; he equally warned them to never betray the trust of their patients on them, by divulging their secrets to anyone without their consent, whether thy are alive or dead.
Read Also: Pipeline security firm sponsors medical outreach for A’Ibom communities
Earlier in his welcome speech, the Acting Vice Chancellor (VC), of the School, Prof. Smith Jaja assured that the graduates were well trained and by the best personnel in their field of study and urged them to be good ambassador of the Institution.
Jaja reminded them that the Oath thy were sworn to is binding on them throughout their life on earth, and that they should not joke with it.
They were later inducted by the Registrar/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria(MDCN), Prof. Fatima Kyari.