From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Prof Soga Sofola, Vice Chancellor, Eko University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ijaniki, Lagos State, has assured students of quality teaching by quality staff as well as conducive environment for learning and recreation.
Sofola was speaking at the matriculation ceremony of 36 students in the institution on March 11, 2021.
In a well attended Zoom event, Sofola said “You students are assured of quality teaching by quality staff as well as conducive environment for learning and recreation.”
Speaking on the rigour associated with medical programme, he said he urged the students to work hard in order to earn good grades “You are strongly advised to work very hard in order to attain good grades.”
In his advice to the newly matriculated students Sofola said apart from being endowed with quality teaching, the freshers also have the fortune of having their senior students close to them for direction “For those in 100 level classes, being close to your seniors, you will also be picking up on some elements of medical sciences and terminologies.”
He also congratulated the parents of the matriculants saying “As for the parents, we congratulate you on the start of seeing your children aspiring to be Medical doctors but they have to work very hard. We pray that God rewards abundantly the investment on your children.”
According to Chief (Dr) Ibraheem, Ayodele Hammed, the Founder and Proprietor of Eko University of Medical and Health Sciences (EKOUNIMED), the institution is a specialised, privately owned, medical, non-sectarian, and co-educational institution
With the Vision to be a world-class institution for the medical and other health professions in terms of learning, research, character building and service to humanity, it also has the Mission to provide an all-embracing health education and services through the production of world class, resourceful and competent physicians, dentists, nursing, pharmacists and other healthcare providers; who will be equipped to deliver the cutting edge promotive, preventive and specialized medical and other health-related education and practices.
According to him the University has approval to run six main programmes which include Faculty of Clinical Sciences; Faculty of Community Medicine and Primary Health Care; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Nursing.
Hammed also assured that the university is doing well in the hands of very seasoned academics and administrators. “We already have MOU with EKO HOSPITAL, Ikeja and Alimosho State General Hospital as our Teaching hospitals and Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos as our Teaching and Research Partner. Also EKOUNIMED is currently under the full medical education mentorship of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) under the approval and coordination of the National Universities Commission, Abuja, and statutory oversight of Nigeria Medical Council.”
On justification for existence of his school he said based on current population of about 200 million, with a 3.5% annual growth rate from the 2006 census (National Population Commission, 2017), the country is grossly deficient in medical doctors and other health professionals including pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses, laboratory scientists, etc.
“Our health manpower level is so poor that the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) performance rating places Nigeria 187th out of 191 nations! Far from the WHO recommendation of a minimum of one doctor to 600 patients, Nigeria has a ratio of one doctor to 6000 patients! The country needs more than 303, 000 doctors to meet the WHO standard, and at least 10,605 new doctors annually to join the workforce (NOIPolls. Abuja August 3rd, 2017). Yet, of the 72,000 registered doctors in the country, only 35,000 are in active practice, more than 50% are in diaspora,” he disclosd.
