Egwunyenga Opens Up On Cost Of Training Medical Doctors. Read How Much

BY Sophia Otuokpai/Angel Ufuoma/Damian Edah/Elizabeth Chukwuman 

The Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University, Abraka, Prof Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, has revealed that it takes an estimated N30m (Thirty million naira) to successfully train one medical doctor.

The Vice Chancellor made the revelation today in Abraka, during the induction of the 16th batch of newly qualified medical doctors from the university’s College of Medicine.

According to the university helmsman, the training of medical doctors in Delta State University, Abraka, is heavily subsidised by the Delta State Government and the university otherwise, only very few will be able to afford it, especially in the face of current economic realities in the country.

He therefore, charged the thirty inductees, who successfully completed their training out of the over sixty students that were initially admitted, to give quality service back to humanity in recognition of the privileges they have enjoyed by receiving subsidised training as medical doctors.

Egwunyenga admonished the students to appreciate their positions in the society as life savers and to imbibe very high standards of professionalism in order to be worthy ambassadors of the university.

In his address at the ceremony, the Provost of the College of Medicine of the university, Prof Emmanuel Odokuma, stated that the induction of the 16th set of newly qualified medical doctors in the university was historic as it was the first to be conducted in Delta State by the first ever female Chief Executive Officer/Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Dr Fatima Kyari, and most likely the last to be chaired by Professor Andy Egwunyenga as Vice-Chancellor.

The Provost thanked Professor Andy Egwunyenga for transforming the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme from its fragile state when he assumed office as Vice Chancellor five years ago.

He further confirmed that it now occupies a pride of place as a programme of the Delta State Government with seventeen specialties that nurture it at the Abraka, Warri and Oghara training bases.

He applauded ongoing efforts of the university to secure MDCN’s authentication of the university’s capacity to actualize the ministerial directive to increase Delta State University’s training quota from one hundred and twenty to two hundred and forty medical students.

He equally thanked the Governor of Delta State and Visitor to the University, Elder Sherriff Francis Oborevwori, for approving the implementation of Reverse CONMESS salary scale for medical doctors working in the university.

Highpoint of the ceremony was the administration of the Hippocratic Oath on the thirty newly qualified medical doctors by the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr Fatima Kyari, represented by Prof Patrick Igbigbi and award of prizes to outstanding inductees.

The prize for the best graduating student went to Dr Reuben Stephen Oghenevwede, who also topped the class in courses in Integrated Paper, Pathology, Pharmacology and Paediatrics to win the cash prize of One million naira from the university and another Two hundred thousand naira from the Vice Chancellor.

In his speech, the valedictorian praised the resilience of his colleagues and urged them to utilise their new status in the benefit of humanity.

“Dearest Excelsiors, it is no doubt that we have fought hard for this and like St Paul will say in the holy scriptures are deserving of the of  this prestigious Crown”, he said.

“Today we are officially called Doctors!”

“This oath represents a promise to our patients, colleagues, and community.

”We pledge to work tirelessly, with empathy and integrity, to provide exceptional care”.

The induction ceremony was attended by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof (Mrs) Rosemary Okoh; Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof Ochuko Anomohanran; Provost of Oleh Campus, Prof Eloh Ibagere; other principal officers, deans, staff and students of the university as well as family members of the inductees among others.