The Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello has called on health professionals to, against fleeing the Country, be patriotic to the nation to address its challenges in the health sector.
She spoke at the induction ceremony of the 2nd set of Bachelor of Nursing Science Graduates of the Lagos State University College of Medicine, (LASUCOM), Ikeja on Wednesday.
According to her, though opportunities exist for health practitioners in the Nigerian health system, yet they must be a “bit patriotic and professional”, despite the challenges informing health professionals fleeing the Country.
She lamented that while Nigeria keeps producing brilliant health professionals, more of them are enjoyed in other parts of the world, due to fleeing syndrome causing the nation massive brain drain in the sector.
The Vice Chancellor who was represented by the Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, LASU, Prof. Raheem Akewusola implored the new inductees to display passion, professionalism and patriotism, charging them more to sit back to ensure the health sector at home is repositioned for the good of all.
“I can only plead that you would be a bit patriotic and professional. Nigeria has always been training medical personnel for other Countries and I’m sure more than three quarter of those we are graduating would be having offers outside of this Country. But please there is no other place like home,” she pleaded.
“If you all leave the Country, remember your families are equally here. I agree all is not well, but then we just must bear the consequences together so that at the end of the day, we would have a country that we would all be proud of,” she implored.
She charged the new inductees to practice responsibly as “flag bearers and good ambassadors of the College.”
In his goodwill message, the State’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, represented by the Director Medical Administration, Training and Programme, Dr. Olufunmilayo Sokunbi, charged the inductees to be “compassionate, passionate and innovative.”
He urged the inductees to be considerate on needs of the health system in the Country, charging them to avail the nation of their professional practice.
“I want to join the Vice Chancellor and everyone to say please let us work together to make Nigeria a better place. You have a lot of roles to play in the health system. Be determined that as you are going, you are going to impact the health system,” he implored.
In his address, the Provost of the Lagos State University College of Medicine, Prof Babatunde Solagberu, said with the strides of the College, by 50 years it would have had successful products making strides across the World.
Speaking, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, said the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led Administration has made provision for quarterly health hold replacement on which for every one doctor leaving the State’s public health system, two are replaced.
Represented by the Director Clinical Services & Training/CMAC, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Prof. Debo Adekoya, he said to further boost capacity, the first set of 16 graduating nursing students were given automatic internship employment, saying the management is working to sustain the provision for successive products of the college.
The Guest Lecturer, Prof. Prisca Adejuwon, in her lecture titled “My Zenith in Nursing: Leaving a Professional Legacy”, said nursing as one of the oldest profession, which in the last 20 years is noted to be the most trusted and diverse among health professions, said the profession provides the inductees with wide range of opportunities.
In her valedictory speech, the overall best student, Omoiegberale Favour, said they were prepared to benefit the society with the excellent knowledge acquired during the course of learning.