Varsity Chief Decries Medical Education Funding

[Richard Akindele]

A professor of medicine and former Chief Medical Director of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Professor Wale Akinsola has decried the funding state of medical education in Nigeria.

Akinsola, who delivered a paper titled "Challenges of Medical Education in a Changing Society" at the 21st Professional Initiation and Admission Ceremony for the 2005 medical graduants of College of Medicine University of Ilorin noted that the numbers of medical teachers have dwindled as many are being attracted to foreign countries due to low funding in Nigeria.

According to him, "there is a deep under funding of medical education, which is further compounded by the huge expansion in the medical student population and the establishment of new medical schools".

He stressed that student population has skyrocketed from less than 500 in the first generation medical schools a few decades ago to about 30,000, while medical graduate output has increased from about 500 to about 3,000.

He regretted that the expansion despite the low funding has not been matched by expansion of training facilities, which have depreciated considerably. Professor Akinsola emphasised that in the past, government subvention alone was adequate for the few medical schools.

His word: "Government policies are rapidly changing, with its current economic policy of a private led, market oriented economy, firmly rooted in the NEEDS document. Having further compromised medical education". He also recalled that the value of capital grant for the procurement of equipment is further diminished by the progressively weakening local currency.

The former medical director however, enjoined the Federal Government to provide a comprehensive medical education that will provide skills that will enable the medical practitioner contribute to the growth and development of medical science and practice.

He equally reminded that the management and administration of medical enterprise has become so complex, that it requires specific skills in leadership, responsibility, target and goal setting, costing, evaluation and monitoring.

In his remark at the decision the vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin Professor Shamsudeen Amali said all the 33 academic programmes in the institution were successful at the just concluded nation-wide NUC accreditation with 100 percent accreditation.

Also in his remark, the Provost of the College of Medicine, Professor Ayodele Soladoye said the college is in need of an improved infrastructural facility to accommodate the collegiate status.

He however, pleaded for adequate laboratory, space, lecture rooms, seminar rooms and staff offices for the college of medicine.

Source: This Day