The Enugu State Commissioner for Health, George Ugwu, says the state  will produce over 900 medical doctors annually in the near future.

Mr Ugwu spoke against the backdrop of the increase in the admission quotas for the Colleges of Medicine approved by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

The four colleges include the College of Medicine, Enugu State University of Science and Technology; the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria; the College of Medicine, State University of Medical and Applied Sciences; and the College of Medicine, Godfrey Okoye University.

He said that the approval was part of Governor Peter Mbah’s efforts to boost the number of medical doctors and other health professionals.

The commissioner also said that the state government understood that buildings and equipment for health facilities cannot provide care without competent personnel.

He said that the government was combining recruitment with the effort to increase the number of doctors and health professionals in all health institutions in the state.

According to him, the health-workforce planning must look beyond institutional ownership.

He said that the state benefits when every credible training institution within its borders develops the capacity to produce competent professionals.

“The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) approved an annual admission quota of 350 for the College of Medicine of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology,” Mr Ugwu said.

He expressed delight over the development, saying, “This is the highest quota granted to a Nigerian medical school at the time. The medical admission quota of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was increased from 180 to 400.

“The State University of Medical and Applied Sciences received full accreditation and an increase in its medical quota by the MDCN from 50 to 100.

“Godfrey Okoye University got an approved medical quota increased from 50 to 75,” the commissioner said.

He also said that though UNN is a federal institution and Godfrey Okoye University is privately owned, the state supported their accreditation.

He said that the state government assisted in both universities’ capacity-expansion efforts because their graduates would contribute to the health workforce serving in the state and Nigeria.

Mr Ugwu said that the increased quotas would address the workforce shortage in the long term.

“For immediate service needs, the state approved the recruitment of more than 2,000 health workers for the primary-care system, with deployment already progressing across facilities.

“Health workers have also received training in safe delivery, neonatal resuscitation, family planning and other essential services,” he said. 

(NAN)