…Inducts 147 CoMUI graduates
From Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan
The governor of Ekiti state, Abiodun Oyebanji, the Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Dr Fatima Kyari, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof Kayode Adebowale and the Provost, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof Olayinka Omigbodun among other guests have appealed to young doctors to consider staying back in the country after graduation to contribute their quota to the development of the health sector.
They all agreed that the only way to repay the country’s investment in their medical training is to put to use their knowledge and years of training in Nigerians in a bid to develop the sector.
The dignitaries spoke in their separate remarks at the induction ceremony into the medical profession for the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) graduating class of 2024 of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI) over the weekend.
The 147 newly inducted set, christened the Lotus 2024, comprise 122 MBBS doctors and 22 BDS doctors.
Leading the call, Governor Oyebanji of Ekiti state, whose daughter, Toluwanimi, was also inducted, urged the new graduates to reconsider their decisions in the face of seeking greener pastures abroad by putting to use their new skills to support Nigerians who are in need of medical attention.
He said “We have a very nice county. Yes we are challenged, but I believe strongly that the youths have all the energy and they have the skills to develop this country. So I’m just appealing to them that the country they want to go to was built by some people so they should reconsider this Japa syndrome, join hands with us so that we can build a country of their own because the future belongs to them.
“There are a lot of discouragements all around yes. When the going gets tough, then the tough gets going. Yes there are discouragements but for those that are discerning, they should stay back and ensure that we reverse the trend. It’s doable.
“What I can tell them is they should not lose faith in themselves, they should hold on to God, they should be committed and they should also avoid what I call a microwave solution to things. Life is a process and once they are very committed to the process they should know one thing that home is home.
“Wherever they go to they are from this country and this country needs to be developed and they must stay behind to join hand with progressive forces to develop the country. There is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Also speaking, the first female registrar of MDCN, Dr Fatima Kyari who was represented by the Deputy Registrar and Head Medical Registration Department, Dr Okwuokenye Henry said it behooves on the fresh doctors to reciprocate government efforts in subsidising their education by finding a way by all means to give back to the government.
He said “The occasion today is an induction ceremony of the new graduands from this highly preferred University of Ibadan. So we have to let them know that the efforts of the government will have to be reciprocated all over the world. We know what it cost to train one doctor and Nigeria government have continued to heavily subsidize this education.
“The average of what they pay here as was said in the program is $50 for a year but else where we know that thousands of dollars are paid every session to train a doctor. Therefore it becomes reasonable why somebody wants to reciprocate the efforts of the government in finding a way by all means to give back to the government.
“The government is doing all it can to solve the problem of the health sector crisis that we are having today. One of measures that is being put in place is to increase the production of the health work force but we also know that a very higher level University of Ibadan would not be in a hurry to do that.
“I will really from my heart plead with the graduands to understand all the efforts that the community have put in their training and find a way to give back to the people. When we leave the country, we still have our family members behind. We don’t go with every one of them. They still have to be taken care of. How do we do this? In what way do we get it done? So we’ll continue to think of how to move this country forward together and we are sure that in no distance time, Nigeria will sing a new song again and that’s the song of abundance of things.”
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, UI, Professor Kayode Adebowale congratulated the parents and students on the feat urging them to know that the medical profession is a divine call with the Almighty God who heals.
He added that CoMUI parades as her products some of the best medical doctors all over the world, noting that the new inductees have worthy models to emulate all over the globe. He said with the induction ceremony, the fresh medical professional are joining the long train of achievers.
Noting that healthcare system is under pressure globally, the VC urged the new doctors not to be deceived by greener pastures elsewhere but help the health sector in the country.
He charged them not to be slack in their conduct, describing them as partners with Divine.
The Provost, College of Medicine, UI, Professor Olayinka Omigbodun commended the parents, guardians for the sacrifice at ensuring that the new medical doctors scaled through.
She charge them to remain focus and be good Ambassadors of the College, which according to her remains the best in the country and continent.
She added that the government had trained them almost for free and as such they must seek means of giving back to the system by supporting the health sector in the country.
Expressing sadness at the large
She said “I am very saddened that most of our doctors want to leave the country. Actually, when I interviewed them, I learnt its only one of them that really wants to stay back and work here out of almost 150. It is devastating on this nation.
“These doctors, they are the best of the best. They enter the school on merit and they are from across the country. They were brilliant from the first go.
“Any country that wants to move forward should look for the best. You don’t allow your best to leave. It’s devastating. And not only that, these students were almost trained free, their school fees was so small and now that it is time for them to build this nation, they all wants to leave the country. So, it’s like the nation has trained them free of charge and have invested and the time that the nation should enjoy them and recouping the investment is gone. You can call it a curse.
“But, there’s a danger in letting your best go. It is devastating and I will appeal to the leadership of this nation to do something immediately.
“At least many of them have made up their minds, but what they can do is reach out to them for a nurturing season. They will still do house job, they should reach out to them there. Many of them will not do NYSC because they believed they will go and not come back.
“Like it was done in those days, when you graduate from medical school, you get car loan and accommodation. With that they have a comfortable beginning. Government can then negotiate with them for further training and then bond them to serve the country. Not many of them wants to go but because of the over centralization of employment, since this IPPIS came up, giving them job has been more difficult.
“You can also encourage them to do research by giving them grants. More so, salaries have to go up. We need to review the salary structure because if we don’t, all our intellectuals will go. Some of them have altruistic heart.
“Many people who have gone are also yearning to come back too and there is need for flexibility in the system by considering some of those senior practitioners who still want to come back to engage in part time jobs like teaching and so.”
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of awards and prizes to deserving inductees.
