The National Postgraduate Medical College, on Thursday in Abuja, admitted 477 convokes into the fellowship of the college. Da Lilly-Tariah, the president of the college, made this disclosure at the 37 convocation ceremony of the college.Mr Lilly-Tariah said that Family Dentistry, ORL-HNS, and Anaesthesia had four, five, and seven convokes, adding that the number of candidates applying for the examination had been on the decline.
According to him, this is consequential to diminishing intake into the residency programme; some persons already admitted into the residency programme are also exiting to other climes.
The president said that placement in the residency programme had become difficult, stating that many young doctors, who desired to enrol in the programme, had not been given places as the hospital had limited places.
Mr Lilly-Tariah said the situation had led to where intending young doctors, who had passed the fellowship primary examinations were unable to be employed to commence training.
“This has contributed to the exodus of young doctors to other lands. The college has been appointed by the Act as the regulator of the residency training in the country,” he said.
He added that by the provision of the Act, the expected funding for residency training should be borne by the Federal Government budget and by internal funding from the teaching hospital.
Francis Faduyile, the President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), called on the convokes to stay back in the country and practice, adding that there was no other place they could call their own except Nigeria
He said the founding fathers left where they were to come and establish the training college, hence, the incoming generation should try to improve on it.
The NMA president said it was high time to join hands and improve the country’s health sector.
Source: Premiumtimes
