Elrazi Medical University, Kano, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Misau, Bauchi State, to provide clinical training for its medical students.
The agreement, signed on Friday in Abuja under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, will enable the university to transition its medical students from pre-clinical to clinical training.
Dr Saidu Dunbulwa, Senior Technical Assistant to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, said the partnership would support Federal Government efforts to increase the production of medical personnel and address the country’s health workforce shortage.
He said the collaboration was significant for Northern Nigeria, where the shortage of health workers remained acute.
“This is a very important and long walk with optimism, but at last, we have arrived, and we are very sure that this is going to change the narrative of producing competent medical students in the country.
“This will actually address the gap that we are seeing,” he said.
Dunbulwa said the agreement would also strengthen public-private sector collaboration in healthcare delivery by expanding facilities available for clinical training.
He added that the initiative aligned with one of the pillars of the ministry’s health sector reform agenda.
Dunbulwa commended the Coordinating Minister for his commitment to the initiative, as well as the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare for approving it and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary for providing technical and moral support.
Also speaking, the ministry’s Director of Hospital Services, Dr Abisola Adegoke, said the partnership should produce competent medical graduates capable of contributing to national healthcare delivery.
She urged both institutions to establish a strong framework for the collaboration and ensure that students received quality clinical training.
“We want the training to be sound, not in any way half-baked, but thoroughly baked,” she said.
Earlier, the Medical Director of FMC Misau, Dr Rufai Dachi, expressed confidence that the partnership would provide a solid foundation for producing competent medical graduates.
He said both institutions had reached a mutual understanding during negotiations and were committed to making the arrangement successful.
“We have already agreed in principle that we are going to make a very sound footing so that the students who are going to graduate from the college are students that can stand the test of time,” he said.
Dachi assured stakeholders of the centre’s commitment to the collaboration and commended those who contributed to its actualisation.
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of Elrazi Medical University, Prof. Isyaku Yarube, described the agreement as a significant milestone in the institution’s development.
He said the MoU would enable the university’s medical school to commence clinical training, expanding opportunities for students to pursue medical education.
Yarube said the development aligned with the Federal Government’s efforts to increase access to medical education and address brain drain.
“This is an opportunity to bring development to the community and the whole of Nigeria. Currently, we have students coming from many states across Nigeria, both from the North and the South,” he said.
He appreciated the university’s Board of Trustees, Governing Council, management, students, parents and other stakeholders for supporting the partnership.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agreement is expected to expand clinical training opportunities and support efforts to increase the country’s medical workforce. (NAN)
