The Federal Government has promised an increased budgetary allocation for residency training and expansion of College activities in the six geopolitical zones in the country.
It has also approve waiver requests to recruit Fellows as Deputy and Assistant Registrars for effective residency training.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammad Ali Pate, made the promise at the 43rd convocation ceremony of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, NPMCN, Ijanikin, Lagos.
The Minister who also stated that the ministry is working on providing special funds to accelerate the training of specialist docors, explained that postgraduate training remains critical to building a resilient health system therefore it is imperative to pay attention to it.
According to him, “without a strong and well-trained workforce, no health system can thrive and this makes the role of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria indispensable”.
The Minister noted that as the apex postgraduate medical education institution in Nigeria, the ministry will ensure access to the Tertiary Education Fund, TETFund, for the college and provide support for endowment fund raising, especially for simulation equipment and capacity building.
Addressing issues of infrastructure, Prof Pate promised to complete the infrastructure projects at the college headquarters in Ijanikin, including the senate building, a national clinical skills and simulation centre.
”The ministry would address the acquisition of an Abuja office for the college to boost its national presence and provide dedicated funding for health research and the acquisition of modern simulation equipment”. Pate
Congratulating the graduands, Pate said the occasion was not only a celebration of academic excellence but also a reaffirmation of the vital role of postgraduate medical education in strengthening Nigeria’s health system and shaping the future of healthcare delivery.
I appreciate you for rising from humble beginnings 42 years ago to becoming the flagship of postgraduate medical education in Nigeria, setting standards, accrediting training institutions, and producing generations of medical and dental specialists who continue to shape the face of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
The Minister’s message was delivered by the Director, Department of Hospital Services, Dr. Jimoh Saludeen,
On the convocation Lecture, titled ‘A Pandemic, Examinations and a Degree”, Prof. Solomon Kadiri, warned that COVID-19 had not gone completely, stating that while the virus appeared to have been weakened, Nigerians should remain watchful.
The President of the college, Prof. Peter Ebeigbe, said the college had added 480 specialists to the Nigerian workforce in the health sector, stressing that, “if they all stayed back in the country, they would help make a difference”.
The college graduated 405 fellows, 34 Doctors of Medicine, and 37 Diplomas in Family Medicine.
The college also honoured four distinguished fellows and four postgraduate diplomates awardees in Anaesthesia and Public Health.