From Owen Akenzua, Asaba
Vice Chancellor of Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, Professor Andy Egwunyenga has revealed that it takes an estimated N30 million to successfully train one medical doctor.
The vice chancellor gave the revelation yesterday during the induction of the 16th batch of newly qualified medical doctors from the university.
According to Professor Egwunyenga, the training of medical doctors in DELSU is heavily subsidised by the state government and the university, otherwise very few would be able to afford it, especially in the face of the current economic realities in the country.
He, therefore, charged the inductees to give quality service to humanity in recognition of the privileges they had enjoyed by receiving subsidised training.
The vice chancellor also admonished the inductees to appreciate their position in the society as life savers and imbibe very high standards of professionalism in order to be worthy ambassadors of the university.
In his address at the ceremony, Provost of the College of Medicine, Professor Emmanuel Odokuma stated that the induction of the new medical doctors was historic, as it is the first to be conducted in Delta State by the first ever female Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, Dr Fatima Kyari, and most likely the last to be chaired by Egwunyenga as vice chancellor.
The provost thanked the vice chancellor for transforming the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery programme from its fragile state when he assumed office five years ago.
He confirmed that it now occupies a pride of place as a programme of the Delta State government with 17 specialties that nurture it at Abraka, Warri and Oghara training bases.
Odokuma lauded ongoing efforts of the university to secure MDCN’s authentication of the university’s capacity to actualise the ministerial directive to increase Delta State University’s training quota from 120 to 240.
He equally thanked Governor Sherriff Oborevwori for approving the implementation of Reverse CONMESS salary scale for medical doctors working in the university.
