Pioneer graduates, UNIMED disagree over internship delay

The pioneer graduates of the Bachelor of Community Health Science (BCHS) programme at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, and the university have disagreed over the delay in the commencement of the graduates’ mandatory internship, with each side giving a different account of who is responsible for the prolonged impasse.

The disagreement followed a public appeal by the pioneer graduates, who accused the university and the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN) of abandoning them more than a year after graduation.

In a statement titled “Urgent Public Appeal and Demand for Justice: The Abandoned Pioneer Graduates of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State,” the graduates said they had completed a five-year programme, including the Community Health Officers (CHO) qualifying examination, but were yet to be posted for the compulsory internship required for professional practice.

The graduates explained that they were initially admitted into a four-year degree programme through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), but the curriculum was reviewed in 2023 and extended to five years to accommodate a mandatory one-year paid internship.

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They alleged that despite fulfilling all academic requirements, they have remained without internship placement for more than a year, a development they said has stalled their careers and denied them the opportunity to obtain professional licences and employment.

The graduates further claimed that repeated efforts to seek clarification from the university yielded assurances that the matter was being addressed, while a visit by their representatives to the headquarters of the CHPRBN in Abuja ended without a definite resolution.

Describing the situation as a threat to both their future and the country’s primary healthcare system, the graduates called on the CHPRBN to immediately commence an internship placement framework and urged the Federal Ministry of Health to intervene.

They also issued a 28-day ultimatum, warning that failure to resolve the issue would leave them with no option but to seek legal redress and pursue other lawful actions.

However, UNIMED rejected the allegations, insisting that the institution is not responsible for the allocation of internship placements.

In a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Isaac Oluyi, the university described the graduates’ claims as “unfounded” and said they reflected a misunderstanding of the objectives and structure of the Community Health Science programme.

According to the university, the programme was introduced to provide an academic pathway for students to earn a bachelor’s degree, strengthen their professional competence, and broaden their career prospects, not as a scheme under which the institution secures internship placements.

UNIMED maintained that, like graduates of its other academic programmes, BCHS graduates proceed to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) after completing their studies, while internship placement is the statutory responsibility of the relevant professional regulatory body.

“It is inaccurate and unfair to hold the university responsible for matters that are entirely outside its statutory mandate,” the statement read.

While expressing understanding of the graduates’ concerns, the institution said it would continue to engage the relevant professional and regulatory bodies in the interest of its graduates but stressed that it could not assume responsibilities assigned by law to another agency.

The development has left the pioneer graduates awaiting a resolution from the relevant authorities as they continue to seek the mandatory internship needed to complete their professional training and qualify for practice.