Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) on Tuesday held Induction and Oath Taking ceremony for the fifth set of its medical students.
In his address, Prof. Walter Nwafia, the Provost of COOU College of Medicine, said the institution had made steady progress in the training of qualified medical doctors and other academic fields.
Nwafia said the college, in conjunction with COOU Teaching Hospital, sustained competitive post-graduate programmes in various departments and also secured accreditation processes.
He congratulated the doctors and charged them to be worthy ambassadors of the college, their teachers and parents who contributed in no small measure to their successes.
The provost, who appreciated the Anambra government and the university management for their support, said that there were still areas where the college needed assistance.
He identified inadequate academic staff, lack of office accommodation and inadequate funding of the college as some of the university’s major challenges.
“We solicit urgent intervention in the college infrastructure, official vehicles, movement of pre-clinical faculty to Awka and medical students’ bus,” he said.
Delivering the induction lecture, Prof. Ernest Onwasigwe said there was a need for a policy that would engender convergence for medicine and religion because of the way they affect each other.
Onwasigwe, in the lecture, entitled “Medicine and Religion: relationship and challenges”, said that doctors’ had a dilemma of keeping to their oath of saving lives and respect for the patients’ religious belief.
He said doctors and spiritual leaders were equally important to the patients because of their role in the total wellbeing of his body, soul and spirit.
He called for a review of the ethics of medical practice and a new policy that would unify the practitioners to ‘evolve a holistic healthcare system’ that guarantees the total healing of the man.
The Vice-Chancellor of COOU, Prof. Greg Nwakoby, congratulated the new medical doctors and advised them against cutting corners or engaging in get rich quick approach in their practice.
Nwakoby, who was represented by Prof. Solomon Ekwenze, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), urged parents to be patient with the young doctors and not to expect so much from them, saying that they still had a long way to go.
“Do not put pressure on them but rather pray for them and support them,” he said.
Dr Vincent Okpala, the Commissioner for Health in Anambra, said the state government would assist the doctors as they move to the next phase of their career.
He said COOUTH was being equipped with modern state of the art diagnostics equipment and that those who would do their Housemanship and Residency in the place would have the benefit of being exposed to the machines.
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NAN reports that the cynosure of all eyes was Dr Ebuka Obiasor, who won 12 awards, including the overall best graduating student for 2019 set of the Medical College.
Obiasor won the best Biochemistry, Physiology student and overall best in 2nd MBBS, Pathology, Pharmacology as well as overall best in 3rd MBBS, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Community Medicine and 4th MBBS.
He also won the best student in Surgery and overall best in 5th MBBS.
Other award winners were Dr Dennis Adinnu, best in Anatomy in 2nd MBBS, Dr Claire Chiebonam, best in Pediatrics in 4th MBBS and Dr Obioma Egwuagu, the best graduate in Medicine.