Prof. Ademola Olaitan, the President, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN), has advised medical practitioners to be humane to patients.
Olaitan gave the advice on Thursday during the 34th convocation of 340 graduates of the College and award of fellowship certificate in Lagos.
He said that being humane in the practice of their profession would make them make a difference in the lives of their patients.
He advised them to “treat and relate with your patients as a whole person and not just as confusing features or commodity.
“You will make positive impact in the treatment and cure of ailments if you follow the advice of Williams Osler that good physicians treat the disease but great physicians treat patients who have diseases.”
The president described the graduates as prove that the college was fulfilling the mandate for which it was set up.
He said that the college was passionate on improving standard among medical practitioners, as such, had put things in place to improve standard.
According to him, the Senate of the college has approved the commencement of computer-based test for fellowship examination in
March/April//May 2017 fellowship examination.
“This modality of examination has lots of advantages with benefits to the examiners and candidates.
“It is far more secured, easier to administer and requires less personnel than the current method but requires high initial capital.
“Undoubtedly, its deployment will bring the NPMCN in line with global best practices for which we can raise our heads high.”
He added that the establishment and construction of clinical skills and Simulation Laboratory for training of residents and assessment of
clinical skills and competencies had also received priority.
Dr Benedictus Ajayi, in his lecture entitled “what kind of doctor are you”, also urged graduates of the college to be compassionate and loving.
He said “the love of God is expressed through compassion.
“Compassion is a combination of indisputably good qualities, kindness, mercy, tenderness, benevolence, empathy and sympathy, understanding and fellow-feeling.”
The guest lecturer said doctors must learn the act of communication and lobbying, learn how to win friends and influence people.
According to him, doctors have sworn to preserve lives and not destroy.
He called on doctors to eschew strikes and adopt other means of resolving issues.
“Strikes maim and kill our patients, kill our initiatives, dull our intellect and skills and make our patients who should be our allies our foes,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the latest number of graduates of the college brought to 5, 387 the college has produced so far.
The college is the apex of medical education in Nigeria. (NAN)