Professor of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Professor Christopher Olusanjo Bode has harped on the need for deliberate investment and commitment of all stakeholders to the training of specialists in various aspects of paediatric care.
This, according to Professor Bode, is imperative in view of the need to further improve capacities of frontline healthcare workers on the early recognition and proper handling of paediatric surgical emergencies.
This formed part of recommendations by Professor Christopher Bode while delivering the 7th Inaugural lecture for the 2021/2022 Academic Session, entitled, “BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED: FROM PAEDIATRIC SURGEON TO HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR”.
It saw Prof. Bode who is also the incumbent Chief Medical Director, Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LUTH) calling for a universal coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as well as an appropriate price structure that ensures reasonable pay for work done in hospitals.
He equally challenged the government to deregulate funding of public tertiary education and limit its roles to overall policy formulation, giving grants to institutions, awarding scholarships, bursary and loans to students while also enabling public educational institutions to charge fair tuitions for trainings.
His words, “this will assist public educational institutions to generate funds which would be used to improve medical facilities thereby engendering a more conducive training ambience for health workers and taming the mass exodus of hands from the Nigerian medical sector to other advanced countries on the grounds of inappropriate training facilities”.
The erudite scholar also urged ivory towers to wean themselves from government handouts and explore interactions with the town, industries and grants authorities for better funding.
He equally charged managements and leaderships of universities to look inward and focus more on their roles as fountains of knowledge, real-time problem solvers and pathfinders in solving challenges.
In her remarks, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, FAS, commended the research insights shared by Professor Bode in his delivery.
The Vice-Chancellor who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development Services, Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa, described Prof. Bode’s inaugural lecture as another addition to the body of knowledge which consolidates the place of the University of Lagos as a leading light in solution-driven researches for all-round development.
The 7th Inaugural Lecture for the 2021/2022 Academic Session was witnessed by eminent personalities including the Ogiyan Of Ejigbo land, Osun State, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode Oyesosin; White Cap Chiefs who represented the Oba of Lagos; members of management; colleagues; friends; well-wishers and admirers of Professor Christopher Bode from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos and the Lagos State Teaching Hospital.
Below is a pictorial highlight of the event.
