The Nigerian Senate has passed for second reading a bill for an act to establish Federal University of Technology Akure, Teaching Hospital.
This followed presentation of the general principles of the bill during plenary in Abuja by Senator Adegbonmire Adeniyi from Ondo state
Senator Adeniyi in his presentation said The bill sought to establish a teaching institute for the Federal University of Technology Akure.
He explained that In 2010, the National University Commission, (NUC), gave final approval for the commencement of a course in Medicine and Surgery, MBBS programme by the Federal University of Technology Akure, with effect from the 2020-2021 academic session.
He told his colleagues that the programme has since commenced, stressing that inorder to obtain an MBBS degree in Nigeria, one has to spend approximately three and a half years in a teaching institute.
“The course duration itself is six years,the first year is spent in the faculty of science, studying physics, chemistry, biology, and other general subjects.
“The pre-clinical years last for approximately 18 months, and success in the examinations.
“After this qualifies the student to proceed to the clinical years, which is mostly spent in a teaching institute.”
He said the federal university of technology Akure which run medical and surgery program was now approaching the clinical years, which they have to spend in a teaching hospital.
This, he said would have an adverse effect on students presently studying medicine and surgery, adding that the importance of having a teaching hospital cannot be overemphasized.
He said the university was presently in the process of signing an MOU with Ondo-state government to allow university students use temporarily the state’s general hospital in Akure.
Adeniyi said President Bola Tinbu places great premium on health, stressing the need for Nigeria to train more medical personnel, given the increasing population and brain drain of medical personnel.
“We must therefore, as a body, take urgent and concrete steps towards training more medical personnel. “This bill would ensure this.
“Secondly, this bill will ensure that the students who are presently studying medicine in FUTA are properly trained medical personnel to attend to the health needs of citizens of this country. ”
He urged lawmakers to support the second reading of bill.
President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio, after the bill was read the second time referred it to committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for further legislative inputs and to be returned to plenary in four weeks.
