343 graduates from LUTH schools
Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has said that 343 medical students had graduated from its nine schools in Lagos.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 2023 joint graduation ceremony and presentation of cash prizes, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) Prof Wasiu Adeyemo said that the nine schools are School of Nursing, Midwifery, Post Basic Nursing, Dental Nursing, Health Information Management, Biomedical Engineering, Anaesthetic Technicians and Community Health.
Adeyemo said that the reason the Federal Government was subsidising their programme fees to encouraged medical graduates to stay in the country and provide medical services to Nigerians because the government cannot afford to get health care workers all over the world.
The CMD said that government was making efforts to resolve the poor working conditions and poor remuneration which was responsible as push factors for brain drain in the health sector.
He said: “You will see that quite a large number of doctors are going out, nurses are going out, scientists, the same thing.
“Therefore, it is important that we encourage them to stay while the government is sorting out how we can sort out the issue of salary, emolument and welfare package.
“Like I told you, the graduating students need to be good ambassadors of the institution because wherever they go now, in their CV, the institution is now attached to them permanently.
“Most importantly, the reason we trained them is to stay in the country and provide medical services to Nigerians because we cannot afford to get health care workers all over the world.”
Adeyemo said the federal government was making efforts to train more people and it is also important that the institution encouraged them to stay in Nigeria, adding that they need to produce more of these graduating students.
He noted that he was aware that the federal government was making all its efforts to encourage them to stay.
Adeyemo said probably, they could not be able to stop anybody from leaving the country but it was important that they don’t give them an impression that it was not about doom and gloom in the country.
According to him, this is because we have over 200 million Nigerians to take care of and 22 million Lagosians so that is more reason these set of granduants need to be here.
The Keynote Speaker, Prof. Amam Mbakwem, congratulated the graduands and their parents on the successful completion of their medical programme.
Mbakwem, who spoke on the current brain drain in the health sector, however said the Grass is Greener in the country as well.
Also, Consultant, Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Prof. Suleimon Akanmu congratulated the graduating students, saying “your future is the very bright sun going to shine on everything you do”.
Akanmu emphasised on the need for the young medics to contribute their quotas towards the nation building rather than leaving the country.
“Today we are celebrating with your parents who have paid the dues to make sure you are here today. Remember that although it was not easy but they did it for you.
“To show appreciation also do it to the Nigerian society that has produced you. Remember that the lexicon today has moved from ‘Japa’ to ‘Japada’.
“Therefore use the latest lexicon to stay here and make use of the best opportunity you have here,” he said.
The Head of Corporate Services, LUTH, Mrs Omolola Fakeye said the institution was delighted with the outstanding performance of Miss Oyindamola Eminiken, who received 11 awards with cash for various prizes.
Fakeye said other outstanding graduating students from the various discipline also received awards with cash prizes, in addition to their certificates at the ceremony.
She urged the 343 graduating students to be a good ambassador of the institution because wherever they go; in their CV, the institution was now attached to them permanently.
