Distinguished Senator, Dayo Faduyile, OON, has described quality medical education as a pillar for achieving Universal Health Coverage, calling on Nigerian ivory towers to produce quality health workers to achieve the health coverage scheme.
Faduyile made this known at the 9th Prof. Felix Oladejo Dosekun Memorial Lecture of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
This is contained in a statement signed by Steve Ovirih, aide to Faduyile and made available to newsmen on Friday in Okitipupa
Faduyile, a Professor of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, in his lecture interrogated the ideal Doctor required for universal health coverage, if the nation must access quality health care, stressing the fact that inadequately trained health personnel on one hand and access to health coverage with less professional medics defeat the intent of universal health coverage.
According to him, if health care professionals under the health coverage are not up to the set out tasks of the scheme will result in delayed diagnosis, prescription of wrong medication, enabling dangerous conditions, poor patient, doctor communication, little or no appreciation of preventive care and little understanding of patient’s social circumstances.
“That is beyond the need to pay attention to Universal Health Coverage, quality Medical Education is a necessity for achieving the idea.
Faduyile noted that there are competencies that remain fundamental for a Doctor worth the calling, the modern physician must be a clinician, a scientist, a communicator, an advocate, a leader, an innovator and a lifelong learner. He noted that to foster universal health coverage health personnel must embrace the fact that they are professionals who are aware that Medicine is not merely about treating disease but more about improving human life.
The mecical expert charged Medical schools to produce doctors that the nation’s health system needs and not just to reproduce doctors the educational systems have historically produced.
“Quality medical education is a tool for health equity, improving it is not the responsibility of medical school alone as it equally requires the quality inputs of governments and policy makers,” Faduyile said.
While speaking, The Provost, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof. Ademola Oremosu said the first Dosekun Memorial Lecture was in 2001 and ever since the academic convergence has waxed stronger in the memory of the erudite medical scholar. In corroborating the guest lecturer,
“Universal Health Coverage is not just about building hospitals or buying equipment but about competent, compassionate and confident health personnel who are well trained to handle what they see,” Oremosu said.
It would be recalled that the Lecture held in honour of late Prof. Dosekun, first Vice-Dean of the University of Lagos Medical School, who also doubled as first Deputy Provost College of Medicine of the University of Lagos.
In his life time. Dosekun eventually became first Emeritus Professor, University of Lagos.
Meanwhile, the lecture featured presentation of plaque to Faduyile in recognition of his contribution to the medical profession while Dr.Olayinka Obafemi -Moses got Long service award of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
