PROVOST, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Professor Olayinka Omigbodun says that Nigeria needs to have a better understanding of what it takes to train medical personnel and ensure that it retains them for its health system development.
Professor Omigbodun, speaking at the admission of 25 doctors and dentists into the medical profession at the College’s induction ceremony for the graduating class of 2021 (batch B), said that Nigeria trains its doctors virtually free but makes no effort to reap fully from its investment into their training.
On the occasion, eight indigent medical students received full scholarships and another 14 part scholarships to study at the college.
According to her, “In countries in the world that understand, they know that medical education will cost a minimum of about $60,000 for them to be able to get the very best. But unfortunately, I don’t think we have a full understanding of what it takes to train medical students and medical personnel.
“What makes it even worse is that the students are paying virtually nothing but as soon as they finish they leave. So it’s like you are losing your investment; you are investing into a group of people; training them and then you are training them for export. By the time when they should be giving back to build up the healthcare delivery system in the country, they had left.”
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Professor Omigbodun stated that the best brains in the country are trained to be medical doctors but the government just let them go because it was not looking for ways to keep them by giving automatic jobs, good remuneration and providing them with the right environment to work.
She added: “So the ones that are trained in the country who are good are allowed to go and then those trained in Eastern Europe and other places that we don’t know the quality they are made of are coming back to care for the healthcare delivery system.
“It’s a real paradox. So, somebody has to take charge of the situation and say enough is enough; do rapid needs assessments of what will it take to keep our doctors here.”
The don stated that Nigeria could start to have a good health care delivery system if doctors are pushed into every health care centre, incentives are provided for doctors and other health care professionals in rural areas and their security is guaranteed.
Chairman at the occasion and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Professor Ronke Bayeroju, stated that the university had paid a high premium in their training, urging them to use the skills they had been endowed with to heal and prolong lives as well as continually develop themselves.
President, Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association, Professor Dipo Otolorin asked that the new doctors ensure that they remember to sow back into their Alma Mata and support the building of the nation.
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