Florence Uwaeme
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted the Rivers State University (RSU) approval to undertake full-time undergraduate programmes from the 2019/2020 Academic Session in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) and Nursing Science, BNsc.
A statement by Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, the state commissioner for information and communication last week said the approval came after a successful resource assessment of the College of Medical Sciences, Teaching Hospital and the Department of Nursing Sciences in November last year.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike had on November 29, 2019, said that the College of Medical Sciences and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) will form part of the legacy that he plans to leave for the good people of Rivers State.
Wike who spoke during a courtesy visit by the resource verification teams of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to the Rivers State University College of Medicine and Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and School of Nursing at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike assured that his administration will sustain the investments in the health sector for the development of Rivers State.
“The Rivers State University College of Medical Sciences and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital are part of the legacies that I will leave for the people of Rivers State.
“Health is key and we will sustain the investments in the sector. Rivers State was created in 1967, without a College of Medicine to train qualified medical personnel. We only had the University of Port Harcourt Medical College which is a Federal institution. What we are doing is to ensure that we have a College of Medical Sciences to groom our own medical personnel in the state”, he said.
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He assured that his administration will continue to approve the employment of relevant academic and medical staff for the College of Medicine and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.
He also announced that the construction of the Department of Clinical Sciences and Clinical Students Hostel will be completed on schedule.
He added that all the necessary medical facilities designated to work as part of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital will be upgraded to serve the purpose.
He informed that the Mother and Child Hospital which will come on stream in May 2020 will serve as the support facility for gynaecology and paediatrics of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.
Governor Wike announced that his administration will supply all necessary vehicles for the functional operation of the medical school and Teaching Hospital.
He, however, stated that the state government will construct a new School of Nursing building because of the dilapidated nature of the current school. He said that in the interim, the school will operate from the School of Midwifery.
The Leader of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Medicine Verification Committee, Prof MBT Umar said that at a time other states are afraid of setting up medical college, Governor Wike remains committed to the establishment and growth of the Medical College.
He said: “This is a time when several states are afraid of setting up medical schools. I am not surprised at what we have seen at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital. After all, you are Mr Projects.
“If you have students at the clinical level, you are set.”
He said that with the zeal that the Rivers State Governor is driving the College of Medical Sciences and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, the two will be the legacies that Rivers people will remember him.
Pro-Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Justice Iche Ndu said that approval from the National Universities Commission will lead to the Rivers State University offering M.B.B.S. and Bachelor of Nursing Sciences.
Justice Ndu thanked the Rivers State Governor for approving and developing Former Brathwaite Memorial Hospital as the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital. He also commended Governor Wike for developing key facilities for the development of the institution.
He commended Governor Wike for employing 75 specialist doctors to teach at the College of Medical Sciences and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.
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