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IDRIS AHMED, LOKOJA
Following passing of bill by the Nigerian Senate and consequent approval by President Muhammadu Buhari for the establishment of a Teaching Hospital in Kogi state, the Federal University Lokoja and the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja have completed agreement for the take off of the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja .
Earlier, the Governing Council of the Federal University, Lokoja, has approved the establishment of the school of Health Sciences for students especially from the catchment areas of the institution to study medicine and surgery.
At a joint press conference by the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi and Dr Olatunji Alabi , Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, who confirmed the cooperation and collaboration of the two institutions also disclosed their readiness in terms of personnel, equipment and infrastructure for the smooth and immediate take off of the new Federal Teaching Hospital.
According to Professor Akinwumi, who made reference to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nigerian Doctors/patients ratio of one Doctor to 10 and 1 Doctor to 4,000, respectively, noted with dis satisfaction, the situation in the medical circle of Kogi State.
The Vice Chancellor, however, predicted that, ” in the next 10 years, Kogi state Medical Centres and Hospitals will experience great inertia of Medical Doctors of Kogi State origin.”
He complained that about 98% of students of Kogi state origin that applied for medicine and surgery with outstanding performance in JAMB and post UTME in Universities within the catchment areas of Kogi state are vehemently denied admissions to read medicine and surgery in those institutions.
Prof. Akinwumi reiterated that ” the Governing Council has approved the Adankolo campus of the University as the College of Health Sciences.
” This campus has been renamed Federal University Lokoja College of Sciences (FULCOS), recall also that the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN)had earlier in 2021 2022 approved the commencement of of Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery following the resource verification by the two regulatory bodies.
In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Federal Centre, Dr Olatunji Alabi, assured that the tertiary health institution has facilities equipment and well trained personnel to assume its new status as Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
