Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka has inducted 30 new Medical Doctors that graduated from the University’s College of Medicine.
The new inductees are the 16th batch of qualified medical doctors being produced by the University.
Speaking during the induction ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Andy Egwunyenga, disclosed that the state government and the institution are subsidizing the cost of studying the course hence more students could complete the process.
According to Egwuyenga, it takes an estimated N30m (Thirty million naira) to successfully train one medical doctor, pointing that only very few would have been 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 subsidized training as medical doctors.
Prof 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 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.
Read also: Revelation Micro Finance Bank marks first anniversary, to celebrate customers
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 Sheriff Oborevwori for approving the implementation of Reverse CONMESS salary scale for medical doctors working in the university.
The Highlight 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 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.
